(Retired) Athlete Approved Sore Muscle Treatments

With all the races on my calendar in the next coming months, I'm definitely going to have to be taking care of my body. I swear, running for me, makes me think of the time my mom told me she tried to feed me baby food containing meat and I just shoved it out with my tongue. I reject it. My body literally rejects running just like it rejects coming in contact with dead animals. Other than feeling fantastic for about 20 seconds after I'm done with a run (thank you endorphins), I hate it while I'm doing it, and I can't walk normal for the next two days after a long run. Now, I know this is because I don't take training seriously when it comes to running, however, the fact that I simply was not built to run is a key contributor as well.

My Race Calendar

YMCA Coastal Carolina Beach Dash- February 15th
Miracles in Motion 5k- February 16th
Polar Plunge 5k- February 22nd

Wrightsville Beach Half Marathon- March 16th

Hound Hustle 10k- April 6th

As I've gotten a little more....serious (not sure if that's the right word to use here) about running in the past few months, I have started to form some habits for my sore muscles I haven't used since playing college ball. Some are old favorites, some are new luxuries. Either way, these are all tried and true. They work for me, they might work for you!

(Retired) Athlete Approved Sore Muscle Treatments

Photo is not me!

Ice Bath- This is the hardest one to do because the first few minutes of sitting in an ice bath is the absolute worst. However, you will get the absolute best results from this. In college after practice we used to sit in large tubs of ice, completely submerging ourselves in the water for 15-20 minutes. After a good 3-4 minutes you are completely numb and it's all good. The initial submersion is tough though. Ice baths along with normal icing, in which you apply ice to a smaller affected area has been shown to decrease inflammation and is best done in 20 on/ 20 off increments to ease pain and swelling. You can create your very own ice bath in your bath tub by filling it with cold water and dumping in as much ice as you have on hand!

Sauna, Stretch and Foam Roll Routine- I'm sure it's been done before but I have recently discovered this great routine and I will never do it any differently. After my workouts, I hit up the sauna for ten minutes, stretch my legs and then foam roll the heck out of them! My IT bands are my biggest struggle when it comes to keeping my legs "running smoothly" during workouts. The only thing that hits them better than a foam roller is a deep tissue massage.

Deep Tissue Massage- If you have the money to spare, and can bear the pain, (it hurts so good), deep tissue massages leave me feeling amazing! Although many places tend to be expensive, this is a luxury you might treat yourself to after a long run every few months or so.

Biofreeze- You can buy Biofreeze in large tubes that seem to last forever for right around $10. Biofreeze is fantastic for soreness the next day, and the day after! It is a gel that has a menthol-like smell which dissipates after about a minute or two. By this time, you have a cooling sensation over the spot you applied it leaving you able to stretch and move those tight muscles once again.

Hot Towels and Biofreeze- Take a hand towel, completely soak it in water and put it in the microwave for a minute or two. Take it out a place it directly on your legs or other sore spots, and using your hands (or have someone help you) apply compression to your achey spots directly on top of the towel. Follow this up with biofreeze for an in-home spa treatment for aches and pains!

Question of the Morning:
 What is your go-to for muscle pain relief following a hard training session?