Big race tips

Well comrades is five days away and one should not be training and push ones self at this stage of the game. One should be resting and stretching muscles and maybe doing a massage or two before the day.

Muscles to strengthen and stretch for running are:

• abdomens
• chest
• lower and middle back
• hips
• upper leg
• lower leg /ankle and feet

One could also do ice baths: Most of the big guys do this two to three days before a race. The reasoning behind this is to helps to get a lot of soreness out of the muscles. Note that one day before a race is to soon,because some people feel stiff after woulds. It seems to take a few hours to thaw.

How to do an ice bath? Fill your bath with enough cold water and ice to not melt in 20 minutes. Then hold your breath and plunge in (maybe bit down on a cloth)cause its going to be cold. Its also a good idea to get the whole team in to doing it that way you can laugh together.The recomended time is 15 -20 minutes. This treatment can be done after the run as well and works great.

Nursing an injure!!

Well have you trained to hard? Have you twitched or pulled or injured yourself? Well the best thing to do is the following with in 24 -48 hours of the injury.

1. REST - Try resting the area as much as possible, for the whole 5 days
2. ICE - Apply ice to the injured area. This helps decrease swelling and helps increase healing. However less is more in this case NOT the other way round. To much icing can damage the area more. Small areas should be iced for five minute only. ( small areas are wrist/ankles ect) Larger areas should be iced for ten minutes only. (large areas are legs/thighs ect). Please don't place the ice directly onto the skin cause it can burn the skin. One of the best ice packs to uses it a bag of frozen veggies.
3. CCOMPRESS -Bandage or strap the area.
4. EELEVATE - area

Ofter 48 hours one should do the following till the area has healed

1. Mobilization - move the area( stretch it)
2. Ice - Same as above ice process
3. Compress - bandage or strap the area
4. Elevate -area

Please not that if anyone is unsure of the injure or what to do ,please call or see a sports therapist.

Good luck and safe running.