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* Try to keep moving by walking slowly as this [[Cooldown]] will help with recovery and help prevent a sudden drop in blood pressure that can cause light headedness.
* Put on extra clothes or change before you become chilled. If you're tired after a race and become chilled, it can be hard to warm up again.
* If you're feeling okay, drink a protein[[Protein]]/carbohydrate drink, aiming for 100 grams of protein[[Protein]].
* If you feel nauseous, then you could try some sipping some ginger ale, chewing on a bit of cucumber, sucking on a mint, nibbling on a plain cracker, or just wait for it to pass. If you need to vomit, then doing so may help, but often nausea is independent of the need to vomit.
* If you're dehydrated, drink to thirst, but be careful if your hands are swollen or you've not urinated in a while, as you might have [[Hyponatremia]]. If you suspect [[Hyponatremia]], it's probably best to avoid drinking and to seek medical advice.
* If you have blisters, don't [[Popping Blisters| burst them]] unless you can't walk without them spreading.
* In warm conditions cool off slowly, but don't become chilled. Your temperature may drop more quickly than you expect.
** It's possible to become light headed through low blood pressure or low blood sugar. If this happens in the shower, crouch down or sit so you are not injured if you fall.
* Have comfortable footwear as your feet may be sore.
* Take more protein [[Protein]] though the rest of the day, aiming for another 50-100g of protein[[Protein]].* Drink to thirst and eat salty foods, but remember the advice above about [[Hyponatremia]]. (Once you've started urinating, you should be fine.)
* If you're craving high fat foods, then enjoy something appealing.
* If you feel like it, take a nap.
* Be careful driving after a longer ultra where you may be [[Zeo Sleep Monitor| sleep]] deprived. Going without sleep for 17-19 hours produces similar effects to alcohol intoxication, and that's for subjects that have not run an endurance race.
* You may not sleep normally the night after the race depending on the difficulty. Typically you will be tired, but either find it difficult to fall asleep, or wake periodically through the night. Have a drink close by to rehydrate during the night, and this can be a protein [[Protein]] drink.
* Wear [[A review of graduated compression wear| compression clothes]] to improve your recovery. (I often sleep in compression clothes after a race.)
* [[NSAIDs and Running| Avoid NSAIDs]], but if you need to manage pain, then Acetaminophen (Paracetamol) is probably the least bad treatment.
* Start making notes about what worked and what didn't work for this race. It's good to learn from each race, and I use these 'lessons learned' as the basis of my race reports and my race checklist[[Race Checklist]].
=The First week=
* While you have [[Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness| DOMS]]
** Try to move regularly, taking short walks.
** Keep your protein [[Protein]] intake high, though small, regular intakes.
** Wearing compression clothing.
* Once the [[Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness| DOMS]] soreness passes (or if you don't have DOMS)
** Use [[Massage| massage]] to speed up your recovery and detect any problems.
** It's fine to take a week off after a long, hard race, but it's also okay to start running again if this appeals and your legs feel strong.
* While you may have burned a lot of calories during the race, it's important to keep that in perspective and avoid overeating. Focus on getting protein [[Protein]] and good quality fats, especially [[Omega 3| Omega-3]], as well as whole foods that are high in [[Fiber| fiber]].
* Depending on the length and difficulty of your race you may experience sleep disruption for several days or even a couple of weeks. Typically sleep becomes deeper but interrupted by periods of wakefulness. Try to allow more time to sleep and take naps when possible.
=The First Month=
It can take 3-4 weeks to recovery from serious [[Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness| DOMS]], so your return to regular training will depend on how your legs feel. The soreness of DOMS can pass well before the associated weakness, so you may find lingering effects.