Alameda Runners – Get After It!

It seems that half the runners in the Bay Area raced in a half marathon someplace this weekend. There were three half marathons in the EBRPD alone.

It was uncharacteristically hot this weekend. Drink a lot of water for a few days after the event to help recover. An 8-ounce cup of an electrolyte drink for a couple of days will help too.  Bay area runners have a unique problem where we are not accustomed to the heat and using up lots of fluid when we train. If we wind up in an event where it is really hot we can wind up getting light headed and having cramps the week after an event. It is very important to hydrate, get electrolytes and potassium into our bodies.

Water and ice are the best things for a sore body. An ice bath does wonders for the legs. It is a bit aggravating to go buy ice then fill up the tub and jump in. That first step is into the ice water is horrible. Your legs will soon go numb and your body will thank you for it later. I put ice packs all over my legs. I even have ice packs for my feet. I look for those big buckets in the dollar store so I can just stick my whole foot into a tub of ice water but I never seem to find them. Remember, no stretching after ice.

A half marathon does not usually put a tremendous strain on our bodies
where we have to be overly concerned with rest the following week. You will have to gauge how you feel afterward and go from there. I had a
really tough day on my half marathon on Saturday so I am going to rest up a
bit until my legs feel better. Here is my post half marathon week:

Saturday – hard half marathon, ice on legs, nap, lots of water, ice on
legs, more water and some chicken noodle soup and light food.

Sunday – Ice on legs and lots of water. Eggs and bagel for breakfast,
chicken salad with bread for lunch, fish and vegetables for dinner.

• Monday – no run – power yoga
• Tuesday – no run – plyometrics, swim
• Wednesday – no run – weights
• Thursday – light run, easy yoga
• Friday – core workout
• Saturday – easy long run followed by an easy bike ride

I added my meals so you can see what I eat after a hard event. I usually listen to my body after a really hard day. As you can see, I am taking it easy all week with the running. If you don’t go all out in the half marathon and you feel good, there is no reason that you can’t continue to train as you normally would.