I still cannot believe I completed a half marathon almost a week ago. It is crazy to think about what our bodies can do if we put our minds to it. How with proper training and accessibility, I believe anyone can run a half marathon.
Since running, I am not going to lie - I was sore. The sorest I think I have ever been in my whole life. But, that does not mean I am still sore. One of the biggest takeaways I have during recovery is to keep moving. Movement is essential because although it may be tough and hurt, the benefits are incredible. Constantly moving every day after running, I believe has made recovery so much better and easier.
I kept up with moving around the day of, not allowing my muscles to tense up. The day after the run I went on a walk and it was the only time that day I was not hurting. The day after I had two intramural sports games and was not in pain while I was performing. The following day and the days after I did not stop moving and worked out and made tremendous improvement within a span of a few short days.
I also kept up with taking ice baths and hot baths as well as using a foam roller and massage gun. All of these efforts help to release my muscles as well as release lactic acid. Lactic acid is a chemical in our bodies that gets produced when carbohydrates get broken down for energy. Low-intensity movement is what is needed to get rid of lactic acid in our bodies, so that is what I have focused on.
All in all, post-race movement is good! When we exert that much energy we cannot just flip a switch and stop. Slowly moving and allowing our bodies to naturally get back to their original state is healthy.
I am still in recovery and am hoping to run today or sometime in the next couple of days. It has been weird not running but I knew my body needed time to recover.
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