What's your post run routine?
Sorry if this thread is somewhere else, but I havent been able to find what I am looking for elsewhere.
Interested in what your every day, run of the mill, post run routine is. I will ask immediately afterwards and then through out the. I am asking because mine is usually nothing! With that said, I am a bit prone to injuries, and aches and pains. Maybe there's a correlation there 😀
I read the thread on "Saunas after run" and it got me thinking.
Also, I am going to see my physiotherapist on Friday so I can share his protocol as well. My physio works with some world class runners. He is a track and field specialist and works regularly with a few runner world record holders. I'm interested to see what he suggests and super excited that he is "in my corner" on my journey to my first ultratrail.
Comments
Patrick,
My routine is pretty basic as I seem to have a pretty busy schedule. After a run, I try to get some real food and hydration within about 30 min. If my run is longer than 90 min a little, and I mean a little bit of stretching. Time is not something I have excess of.
good luck!
Thanks @Todd Glass
I also have very little time, but am also prone to over-training and injuries so I thought maybe I should be a little more on top of it. My wife who also runs (1/2 marathons) Has a few stretches she does immediately post running that he says makes all the difference.
I'll compile all that I get and use what works for me.
I walk a few minutes while swinging my arms and go through a stretch routine to stretch arms, shoulders, neck. (I don't always have good posture when running, especially long runs) I then do a lunge to stretch calf, hamstring, glute on both sides with a full fold trying to touch my toes between sides. Follow that with a quad stretch, and and ITB stretch..one foot behind the other to stretch the hip/itb a bit. THEN I get in the car to go home, or come in the house. Always have food or some sort of recovery drink, and hydrate. It takes maybe 5 minutes to do the stretches. If I feel sassy I may throw in some drills. Looking forward to what your physio advises.
I try and roll my calfs and shins for a couple minutes. I also try to eat some protein
@Trish Marshall thanks for the input. And yes looking forward to hearing again from the physio
@Tim Sullivan From my weightlifting days, protein is an automatic for me after any session. Do you roll you calfs and shins even if they are sore/tender. I know how to foam role, I am am just unsure sometimes as to when.
Yes. I roll when they are sore/tender. Has worked for me.
The other thing that has helped get rid of the soreness for me is daily jogging. My "off" days are slooooow jogs. Often 4-5 minutes slower than my TRP pace. Has really helped strengthen all those little muscles without risk of overtraining.
Longer or harder run (2 x a week): Normatec x 30 minutes
Most runs: Chocolate milk within 30 minutes, 8-10 oz.
Sauna IMMEDIATELY after: 1-2 x a week for 20 minutes, HYDRATING 20 oz during.
IMMEDIATELY on stopping: I take off my HR strap, loosen my shoes, and remove knee strap; I keep walking; I make sure I can think clearly (especially if I'm driving back home).
Of all these things, I think the Choc milk and the immediate walking are the most important.
After every run I stretch my major leg muscles, spending more time on what's tight. Calf, hamstrings, quads, hip flexors. Takes less than 4 mins. I hydrate with water. If a long or interval run, chocolate milk and other protein snacks. When needed, I'll foam roll and use softball/lacross ball on tight spots in muscles just before bedtime.
@Derrek Sanks @Al Truscott
In terms of Chocolate Milk...
I am cutting my sugar intake drastically at this point to help with body comp. When I say "sugar" I mean added sugar. So no sugar in my coffee, no sweets (treats). If store bought things have added sugar I will avoid them, i.e. katchup
Is this one time when you would the say benefits outweigh the downside of "added sugar"? Or since my runs are NOT that intense right now, I keep the chocolate milk until when runs really start to count.
I can't see that chocolate milk has a ton of benefit after a 30:00 TRP run with some strides
@Patrick Large
Any run at one hour or longer I do chocolate milk right after. Anything shorter I just go with water and solid food.
I also see a good cool down/less tightness effect after running by walking for 2-4 mins following run.
My needs may be different from other folks'. My BF % is 5-6 %, with a BMI of 22. I was lucky in the GI micro biome I inherited from my mother. So I really dont worry too much about body comp. What I do worry about is losing weight and fatigue when doing IM prep work. It's not the value of that choc milk after any one workout, it's the need to keep up with fluid and glycogen replacement day in and day out. 8oz Whole milk + 2tbps Hershey's syrup has about 250 cal. My Garmin says I burned 205 calories in a 30' run, so presumably that Choc milk with 25 gms of sugar all went to replace the glycogen I used during the run, none left over to get turned into fat.
Thanks Al- that's the answer I was looking for.
and BF at 5-6%... WTF man 😀
@Patrick Large
If body composition is a concern consider the intensity and duration of the workout when refueling.
If the workout depleted you, such as doing a hard two hour run or long bike/brick, or a double workout in the same day you would then pay attention to the 30 minute window to get recovery started. If your workout does not fall into this scenario then you do not need extra calories from post workout fuel. Go to real food. You will feel less hungry as the day goes on. If you are not depleted you don't need extra carbs post workout.
In your case hydration with electrolytes is the biggest factor in how you feel after a run. Also, consider that Ultra Trail running is not the calorie burner as a hard road run. Since you are running at a lower intensity, maybe 60-65% of threshold HR, you are theoretically oxidizing more fat for fuel, therefor preserving glycogen stores.
Thanks @Sheila Leard and spot on in terms of "intensity and duration" At this point these are not long hard runs and body comp/durability is the goal.
Thanks for reply.
Post-long bike (2+ hours) is a mexican coke (w/ real sugar) and a Martin House Salty Lade gose/beer. Double chicken Chipotle burrito. Nap. This is my usual Saturday routine.
I haven't had a long run in such a long time, I forget what I used to do. haha
Correct @Patrick Large - I only do chocolate milk after a long (75+ mins) and/or high intensity workout where I know my muscles need protein to help the repair process and I need carbs to get a jump on replacing glycogen.
@Patrick Large I take in some fat/sugar/protein if my run included hard intervals or lasted more than an hour. Chocolate milk is good because it is fast. I prefer to make a protein smoothie with yogurt and frozen fruit if I have time, such as during the weekend. For short runs, I just grab something to drink, like coconut water, to rehydrate.
I am trying to force myself to allocate 10 minutes for stretching and core work. I am less diligent about this when I do a 90-minute or longer run.
After all runs, I stretch my calves on my stairs. I got tendinitis in my achilles in 2014, and it took almost a whole season to get rid of it.
Hello all- i thought I would reply to this one for an update.
This has been my post run routine so far and it has seemed to work. I walk anywhere from 5-10 minutes after my run and then stretch for maybe 10 minutes. Then breakfast of a shake or eggs and then on with my day. As runs get longer and more intense I assume the walk/stretching will stay the same and post run nutrition will change.
@Trish Marshall This is what my fysio recommended. First of all he didn't recommend stretching before running at all. He did recommend after and throughout the day... at least one more time. His stretches included one for each group: hamstrings, quads, calfs, piriformis, and hip flexors. They are many versions of these but can give you specifics if you'd like. Other than that he recommended I run 3 times a week not 4, keeping a rest day in between each run day. Work on core and lower body strength.
And after today his word will be law. Yes, he works with Kipchoge, who just smashed the Marathon world record by more than a minute. :)
This is fun thread to read. My typical post run routine is this. I have a water hose at the corner of my house next to the driveway. For most of the year, when I finish running, I hose myself off because I'm sopping with sweat. Then I go to the fridge in the garage and grab a drink ... calories are not the object, I'm just trying to start rehydrating immediately. Then after shower #2, I can think about getting something to eat. Walking and stretching afterward will have to wait until I retire.
Every Day, run of the mill routine (TSS<150): hydrate hydrate hydrate, some food (fruit, smoothie, whatever) after, have a real meal within a few hours.
Big extra special run (TSS>150): hydrate hydrate hydrate and make 100% of fluid replacement; 4:1 cho:pro refuel within 20 mins, repeat again about an hour later, real meal within a few hours. light stretch immediately after/while refueling and rehydrating. Best case / best practice: Ice bath immediately after, OR light swim within 2-3 hours. This comes from a Couzens article that is absolute gold.