Finish line at the 2009 Toughest 10K Run, Kemah, TX, Kelly Smith
Most runners are guilty of improperly cooling down after a hard effort, whether it's a 10K or a tempo run. The temptation to get your breath back and to begin socializing and swapping race stories can be overwhelming. But that's not doing the body any good or helping to prepare for the next workout. There's a better way.
Rehydrate and get some carbs
Even taking advantage of every water table during the race probably won't keep the body properly hydrated, especially in warmer months. Grab a sports drink to rehydrate and replace some carbs and electrolytes. The carbs will begin to replace expended glycogen and the gut will begin the rehydration process.
Go for a cool-down run
This is a good time to rehash the race with friends and keep muscles limber with an easy jog. Keep in mind this is a recovery run, so take it easy. How far is a good distance? One or two miles should be fine. Anything longer than that just turns into another training session and that's certainly not the objective here.
Relax and feed the muscles
The best way to begin repairing muscle micro-tears and replacing muscle and liver glycogen is by consuming the right carbohydrate and protein ratio. The recovery window in which this occurs can last up to a full hour.
The typical post-race fare provided by race management will do fine. Fruit, bagels, Powerbars, and more sports drink will be fine. Finally, do some light stretching before piling into the car and heading home. When the athlete takes care of the body, the body takes care of the athlete.
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