2 Simple Assessments for Post-Race Recovery

Are you sore from your last race or long run?  So was Dr. Megan Graff after finishing the Boston Marathon.  There’s a ton of post-race recovery guidelines out there, but what’s missing are self-assessments to help you understand WHY you’re sore from your race.

Post-Race Recovery Assessments

To see if you have tightness that might be impacting your running performance – and leading to specific areas of soreness – let’s look at two quick tests. You can use these movements to recheck how you feel after you’ve done the related mobility technique–so try these tests before and after you mobilize!

Post-Race Recovery Assessment 1:  Forward Bend

Stand with your feet together, knees straight, and try to reach down toward the floor. If your fingertips don’t reach the ground, you likely have hamstring or low back tightness that can impact your posture during running, which could either lead to early fatigue and possibly injury.  Alternately, if you can palm the ground you don’t have ENOUGH tension in your hamstrings and are missing strength & stability in your glutes and hips.

Post-Race Recovery Assessment 2: Lunge Test

Stand with your feet shoulder width apart. Take a big step forward with your right leg. Make sure your front foot is in neutral (arch is not collapsing toward the floor), your left glute is squeezed tight, and your hips are squared forward. Now slowly drop your left knee straight down to the ground. You should be able to do this keeping an upright torso and straight spine, without the hips twisting and without the front knee falling in toward midline. Try the same thing on the other side and compare the difference.

Post-Race Recovery Mobility

Now that you know where you’re feeling tension, try these two techniques to address the tightness and speed up your recovery!

Downward Dog for 2 minutes

Start in a plank position – lats and glutes are engaged – then drive your hips up toward the ceiling. Focus on keeping your back flat and shoulders active by pushing yourself away from the ground.  You should feel a gentle stretch in the back of your legs. You might have a bend in your knees or heels up off the ground, so try pedaling your legs, trying to drive your heel down to the ground. Breathe into the belly and maintain for 2 minutes.

Calf Smash For at Least 2 Minutes Per Side

You’ve probably done this before, but my guess is that you haven’t done it completely right.  Sit down on the ground and place a lacrosse ball under your calf, starting about 3 inches above your Achilles.  Bend and extend the ankle to get the tissues working against the ball. To increase pressure, cross the opposite leg over the balled leg.  Breathe deeply throughout and spend at least 30 seconds on the most sensitive areas, moving up your calf to a about 2 inches below the knee.  Once you’ve gone through this first pass, do it again, but now using a contract/relax technique.  On the most sensitive spots, point the toe and hold for 6 seconds, relax for 6 seconds, then dorsiflex (shoot the heel forward) for 6 seconds, then relax for 6 seconds.  Repeat this 3-4 times on each sensitive area.  Don’t forget to BREATHE…deeply.

For Dr. Megan’s full Head to Toe Mobility Guide for Runners, go to run.movement-rx.com to download the free guide and check out the video below!