Since I hadn’t done a long run in a while, I forgot about my do’s and don’ts, and didn’t have a very good afternoon yesterday. What is a long run? It varies depending on what level of training you are at, what your goals are (a 10K, or a 50 mile endurance race), and your level of fitness. I’m sure my long runs are a lot different than the ones Scott Jurek does.
But even if your run isn’t ultra long, these are all good ideas for afterwards.
Right after the run:
DON’T: Drink a beer. It would taste really good, wouldn’t it? But save it for later in the day, and drink some chocolate milk. I drink this kind because I don’t eat dairy. This is the best chocolate milk ever:
DO: Stretch. Stretch as soon as possible after you stop running, like as soon as you get to your car or house. I stretch my achilles, calves, hamstrings, quads and shoulders. Just do 10 minutes or so, you can do more later.
DON’T: Wear your wet clothes home if you have a long way to go. Bring a change of clothes, even in the summer you don’t want to be wearing that sweaty gear for long.
DO: Put on compression sleeves. I put these on right after my run and they feel so good.
After you get home:
DO: Take an ice bath. Put on shorts and a sweatshirt and get in the tub. Start the cold water running and when you have a few inches of water in there, pour in a big bag of ice. Stay in as long as you can take it. If you can’t bear the thought of this, at least do your feet and calves in a bucket. OK, now you can take your shower. Put the compression sleeves back on.
DON’T: Sit still for too long. Sit for short periods of time, but be sure to get up and walk around, go up and down the stairs, and stretch periodically. Your muscles will tighten up very quickly. If possible go walk around the grocery store, mall, or your neighborhood.
DO: Ice throughout the day. Wrap ice packs around your achilles, shins, wherever you might be feeling sore. Use ace bandages or plastic wrap to hold the ice packs in place.
DON’T: Eat like a pig. Sure you burned 1500 calories, but that doesn’t give you liberty to eat french fries, ice cream and soda for the rest of the day. Eat your healthy food, but if you are particularly hungry just eat more of it. OK, you can have one special treat.
DO: Remember to take your supplements. I take a magnesium/zinc/calcium supplement from Trader Joe’s that really helps to prevent muscle cramps.
DO: Keep hydrating. Even if you drank a lot of water/accelerade/gatorade, etc, during your run, drinking water throughout the day will keep you hydrated and prevent muscle cramps.
DO: Get a massage. This is purely a treat, but it can make you feel so good. Definitely treat yourself to a massage after a long race.
DO: Make cookies. Purely optional.
(Cowboy cookies minus the nuts, recipe from )
Since I hadn’t done a long run in a while, I forgot about my do’s and don’ts, and didn’t have a very good afternoon yesterday. What is a long run? It varies depending on what level of training you are at, what your goals are (a 10K, or a 50 mile endurance race), and your level of fitness. I’m sure my long runs are a lot different than the ones Scott Jurek does.
But even if your run isn’t ultra long, these are all good ideas for afterwards.
Right after the run:
DON’T: Drink a beer. It would taste really good, wouldn’t it? But save it for later in the day, and drink some chocolate milk. I drink this kind because I don’t eat dairy. This is the best chocolate milk ever:
DO: Stretch. Stretch as soon as possible after you stop running, like as soon as you get to your car or house. I stretch my achilles, calves, hamstrings, quads and shoulders. Just do 10 minutes or so, you can do more later.
DON’T: Wear your wet clothes home if you have a long way to go. Bring a change of clothes, even in the summer you don’t want to be wearing that sweaty gear for long.
DO: Put on compression sleeves. I put these on right after my run and they feel so good.
After you get home:
DO: Take an ice bath. Put on shorts and a sweatshirt and get in the tub. Start the cold water running and when you have a few inches of water in there, pour in a big bag of ice. Stay in as long as you can take it. If you can’t bear the thought of this, at least do your feet and calves in a bucket. OK, now you can take your shower. Put the compression sleeves back on.
DON’T: Sit still for too long. Sit for short periods of time, but be sure to get up and walk around, go up and down the stairs, and stretch periodically. Your muscles will tighten up very quickly. If possible go walk around the grocery store, mall, or your neighborhood.
DO: Ice throughout the day. Wrap ice packs around your achilles, shins, wherever you might be feeling sore. Use ace bandages or plastic wrap to hold the ice packs in place.
DON’T: Eat like a pig. Sure you burned 1500 calories, but that doesn’t give you liberty to eat french fries, ice cream and soda for the rest of the day. Eat your healthy food, but if you are particularly hungry just eat more of it. OK, you can have one special treat.
DO: Remember to take your supplements. I take a magnesium/zinc/calcium supplement from Trader Joe’s that really helps to prevent muscle cramps.
DO: Keep hydrating. Even if you drank a lot of water/accelerade/gatorade, etc, during your run, drinking water throughout the day will keep you hydrated and prevent muscle cramps.
DO: Get a massage. This is purely a treat, but it can make you feel so good. Definitely treat yourself to a massage after a long race.
DO: Make cookies. Purely optional.
(Cowboy cookies minus the nuts, recipe from )