Recovery plan vital for post-race aches

— The day after my first marathon 17 years ago, I went running. My quadriceps were so sore that I had to walk backward down my apartment stairs to get outside, but I hardly cared; I was young, euphoric and hooked.

It wasn't just because running kept me feeling thin and fit. I loved the races, the people and the way a run could lift my mood. After a good workout, I was ready to take on the world.

I was also motivated, because taking a day off - even if I'd run a marathon the day before - left me feeling irritable and edgy. So I kept running when my body was screaming for a break. And eventually I joined the chronically injured club.

More than seven of 10 runners will get hurt over the course of a year, said Irene Davis, director of the University of Delaware's Running Injury Lab - just one reason runners can't seem to talk about anything else.

But it doesn't have to be this way. Most running injuries are preventable because they are overuse injuries caused by elementary training mistakes: running too far, too soon; racking up excessive mileage; doing too much interval work; and wearing the wrong type of footwear. I made all these mistakes and more.

I ate poorly, ran on concrete, never stretched or built core strength and had glaring muscle imbalances, including weak quadriceps and tight hamstrings, causing knee pain.

That saddled me with the three most common overuse injuries: tendinitis, muscle strains and stress fractures. And that was just the beginning. Running too much, I found, can damage nearly every part of your body, from your skinto your immune system.

A runner who hasn't had shin splints, Achilles tendinitis, iliotibial band syndrome (pain on the outer thigh from the knee to the hip) or plantar fasciitis (inflamed bottom of the foot) is like a cyclist who hasn't crashed: It's only a matter of time.

Recovery (or rest) days are one of the best tools for staying injuryfree, said San Francisco State University exercise physiologist Anne Thilges. She has done 10 Ironman triathlons (which include a marathon) and is training for the Western States 100-mile race. She also recommends good nutrition, a healthy mind-set, recovery sessions and cross-training.

After a grueling event like a marathon, definitely keep moving. But instead of dragging yourself backward downstairs for an "easy run," have a recovery plan. It might include massage, icing, yoga or cross-training.

Cross-training is ideal, because it works different muscles and keeps you active. Some activity options: swimming, yoga, Pilates. Cycling might or might not be a good idea, depending on how badly you've tired out your thigh muscles: Biking on exhausted thigh muscles can overwork your outer thigh muscles and lower back.

"People train for the marathon but have no plan afterward, something that can eliminate a lot of injuries," said Gregory Palutsis, an orthopedic surgeon and head of the sports-medicine section at Evanston Northwestern Healthcare.

The plan, which might help alleviate post-race depression or doldrums, should include listening to your body, resting, recharging and rehydrating. Although some experts recommend taking one day off for each mile run in a marathon, others say to just avoid running a fast or race pace for 26 days.

ActiveStyle, Pages 29 on 10/29/2007

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