RECOVERY ADVICE
The Road To Recovery
Follow these important recovery tips and you’ll remember your Marathon achievement for all the right reasons ...
AFTER MAKING your way round Loch Ness Marathon’s scenic course you will find yourself faced with the finish line at Bught Park in Inverness. Be proud, all the hard work has paid off; but don’t fall into the trap of thinking that the finish is the end of the line when it comes to looking after yourself. Having pushed your body to the limit, you should follow a simple set of post-race tactics over the next few hours, days and weeks to make sure recovery is as swift and straightforward as possible.
STAND TALL Immediately after completing the marathon you should fight the urge to fall to the floor. Remain standing, and continue to walk for a short distance. Doing this allows your body to gradually work its way back to its resting state and will help to reduce lactic acid build up in your muscles.
KEEP WARM
Keep your body temperature from dropping too quickly as this can cause muscle stiffness. It is also worth remembering that your immune system will have taken a knock and so you are at greater risk of infection - make sure you have clean, dry clothes to change into as soon as possible.
STRETCH IT OUT We all know the importance of stretching after a run, but in the excitement of race day this can be all too easily overlooked. Making sure you carry out a thorough stretching sequence; it will go far in returning your muscles to their pre-race state, helping to avoid unnecessary injury and minimise stiffness the following day. You will become very aware of muscles you never knew existed; but by taking your body’s recovery seriously you can limit this pain substantially.
REFUEL In the minutes after crossing the finishing line, make sure you pick up a drink and something to eat in the food tent with your meal ticket to start the process of replenishing what your body has lost during the race. Bear in mind that your body will absorb this ‘fuel’ most effectively within 30-60 minutes after your race has finished.
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