BY NIAMH DAVIS: The Donegal Daily/Brian McCormick Sports North West 10k is finally here. You’ve trained, watched your nutrition and the adrenaline is pumping through your body as you prepare to start the race.
Whether you’re planning to walk, jog or run, a good warm up will help you get further.
It is one of the most important aspects of any race and it is one of the most overlooked. A good warm-up raises the temperature of the muscles so they’re ready to work at maximum efficiency when the race starts.
Don’t let your warm-up be the first two miles of your race.
In the last article I talked about a warm-up full of movement and also rolling all joints from the neck to the ankle.
You need to bring the joint through a circular motion, for example, for hips a hula hoop motion and then bring the leg up with a bent knee and complete a circle at the joint.
Here are some pre-race tips to help you:
For the warm up
*Easy leg swings
*Light jogging -15mins. Control and easy pace.
*Some gentle lunges
*Run your own pace
*Make sure your shoes are tied tight and won’t slip off, sounds ridiculous but you would be surprised how many people get blisters for that exact reason.
*Breathing is the most difficult thing to get the hang of when running; in through the nose and out through the mouth, especially with the cold weather we have had, it will stop the chest from getting tight. If you can get a rhythm in the first 2k then the rest will be a bit easier on you and your lungs.
Now what should you do after the race?
Most importantly, do not stop dead after the race. It’s instinct when you’re finally over that finish line to stop and bend over to catch your breath, lie down in a heap or hug people for 5 minutes.
However, what you should be doing is walking for a few minutes until your heart rate is at a slower tempo and your legs adapt to a slower pace.
If you’re taking any supplements to aid recovery, then some studies suggest the next 30 – 45 minutes after the race are the best opportunity to get maximum absorption of the drink or tablet.
It is very important to have warm clothes ready after the race, even though you may be extremely warm your muscles will cool down very quickly and can cause cramping or spasms.
After the race it is vital to spend 5 minutes minimum stretching out specifically concentrating on the legs. That evening it is important to sit and pay attention to your body. If you see any swellings then ice them for 10-15 minutes every hour for the night and then that should take down any non-serious inflammation.
If you just feel tight, stiff and a bit achy all over then jump in a nice hot bath or even up to the hydro pool where the salts will really help ease painful delayed onset muscles soreness.
After a hot bath, is when you should be taking the time to mobilise all the joints and relax all the muscles by completing even just a few yoga poses.
For the few days after the race do not stop activities completely, especially if you are used to training every day, but reduce it massively. So a walk, a hot yoga class or a light gym class just to get moving.
If races are your thing you will already have a treatment plan in place and understand that a massage post-race is an excellent way to relieve any tension and have any pain checked out, usually best between 24-72 hours post-race.
If it’s your first time ask around what works for other people. Chances are you’re not going to get it right on your first attempt but once you get checked out by a professional afterwards to make sure nothing has been injured you can rest assured a wee bit of muscles soreness won’t do you any harm.
For bank holiday Monday to Friday May 6th, a back and legs massage (30mins) is €15 that’s 50% off for those that complete the race.
Guest Columnist Niamh Davis is a neuro-musclar physical therapist based at Fit-Hub, Mountain Top, Letterkenny.
Her Facebook page is here:
https://www.facebook.com/Neuromuscular11/?ref=ts&fref=ts
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