Thank you, Mandy, you are very wise to be making a recovery plan well ahead of time. There is no exact formula for recovery as factors like your fitness level, the difficulty of the course, and weather conditions affect your recovery time. Actually, the very first step in planning for recovery is following a good training program ! Adequate training leads to faster recovery because you are prepared for the demands of your event (think of the saying “the best defense is a good offense”). Check out the specific demands of your chosen race— road surfaces, weather conditions, time of day, look at the course profile for significant hills, etc.—and then simulate those conditions in your training as closely as possible.

HASE ONE: The first 24 hours The recovery phase begins the moment you cross the finish line. Replace fluids, electrolytes, and glucose immediately. Research indicates that refueling right after an event (within 30 minutes) is ideal because your body is designed to absorb the much-needed energy at a much faster rate than normal. Your muscles are like thirsty sponges soaking up these nutrients. Water and sports drinks should be readily available at the finish, so drink up. The best post-race recovery foods are easily digestible high-carbohydrates like bagels, bananas, and yogurt, and many longer races offer similar foods in the finish chute. Eat some of these foods before leaving the race site. It’s also a good idea to change into dry clothing as soon as you can to avoid getting chilled. Slow walking helps prevent muscle soreness and blood pooling in your lower legs so walking to your car or hotel is also a part of your recovery. When you get home or back to the hotel, take an ice bath immediately. Ice baths minimize soft tissue inflammation and therefore help speed recovery. Fill a bath tub with cool water and get in, use enough water to cover your legs and hips. Add one or two 10-pound bags of ice after you are seated in the tub. Wear a sweatshirt to keep your upper body warm, sip a hot cup of tea or soup to keep from getting chilled. Stay in the tub for 10 to 20 minutes. Avoid a hot bath or the hot tub for 48 hours after the race because heat can increase soft tissue inflammation. After 48 hours, you may use heat to help relieve muscle soreness.

PHASE TWO: Day 1 to day 3 The first 3 days following a long distance race are the most crucial to a good recovery. These are the days to take completely off; give yourself permission to sleep in. Don’t run, even if you feel fine. Endorphins mask aches, pains, and even fatigue for several days following a race so runners are often unaware of how they really feel and return to training too soon. Gentle stretching and activities of daily living are enough “exercise” during this short phase of your recovery plan.

PHASE THREE: Active recovery A general rule of thumb for recovery is allowing one day of “rest” for every mile of the race; so in your case, 15 days of rest is recommended. Don’t panic though, this doesn’t mean cutting out running, but rather not running hard, so no speedwork and no racing for two weeks. Return to running by implementing a “reverse taper” plan. Follow the taper you used for your race (last two weeks of training) in reverse to bring your mileage back up to your maintenance level. Mixing in walk breaks with your running is a good way to control the intensity and make sure you keep the pace easy during this phase. Heart rate monitoring can be a very useful and objective indicator of your recovery as well. Measure your resting heart rate (RHR) now, during your training, on a regular basis so you have a baseline. Take your resting heart rate the morning after the race and each morning during your recovery. A resting heart rate 10 beats per minute or more above your normal RHR is a warning sign. It indicates fatigue, stress, or possible illness and lets you know that you have not fully recovered. Keep your runs very easy until your resting heart rate returns to your normal pre-race readings. When your RHR returns to normal, you will know you are ready to resume training. Enjoy! Susan Paul, MS Susan Paul has coached more than 2,000 runners and is an exercise physiologist and program director for the Orlando Track Shack Foundation. For more information, visit www.trackshack.com . Have a question for our beginners experts? E-mail it to beginners@rodale.com . NOTE: Due to the volume of mail, we regret that we cannot answer every e-mail.

View post:
Did Running Deep-six My Disks?

4th Aoife Brady time of 9.53.40
5th Catriona Jennings time of 9.57.33
9th Crona Brady time of 10.23.92

Well done Girls. We are all very proud. For full results see link below.

http://www.athleticsireland.ie/content/wp-content/uploads/2006/05/irish-indoor-results.pdf

Report by Orlagh Flemming

Good turnout from the club at last Wednesday’s Zurich sponsored BHAA series of 2 mile races which took place in Irishtown Stadium. All races were run on a handicap basis. Unfortunately Paul O’Connell’s unbeaten run came to an end and no Paul I still had nothing to do with your handicap being reduced after you winning your respective race at the previous Irish Life & Permanent race night.

Stephanie Bergin kept up her good recent form by winning her standard and Valerie Power making a welcome return to BHAA races won the open race.

Ray Carpenter, Tommy and Sandra Armstrong also ran very well although Sandra was spotted being dragged off at great speed by Valerie’s dog which she was trying to look after whilst Valerie ran.

For those of you who are not aware of what goes into organising an event, brief summary of what was involved in organising this event (which would also apply to the Irish Life & Permanent race night which Kathleen Horgan was responsible for organising with her colleagues).

Responsibility of race Promoter to book stadium, organise race flyers/promoting event. Making sure adequate stewards in attendance to look after registration and track side and to tidy up afterwards. Timing Clock for evening and accurate recording of finishing times. Providing Tea/Coffee/Water and Refreshments, Prizes, St. Johns Ambulance to attend. Posting of results after event.

Although first race started at 7.30pm myself and my colleagues were at venue from 5.15pm to set up and got to leave at 10.15pm even though last race was at 8.35pm.

So do please give some appreciation to race organisers when you are attending races.

Photos from Racepix365

Report by
Stephen Willoughby

Just to show that track running isn’t just a young kids game, this is tommy armstrong finishing strongly at the BHAA Irish Life 3km track race on wednesday last. The race organiser and club member kathleen horgan, can be seen in the background. Other club runners on the night were paul duffy, stephanie bergin, colin mahon, jean wilson and POC. The Zurich 2 Mile track race organised by Stephen Willoughby is on wednesday 26th August.

Wednesday 5th August 2009

The final evening of the graded series for 2009 took place at a warm and sunny but breezy Irishtown stadium. First up was the 200m, and there were 2 grade C races. In the 1st Sportsworld’s fastest man Conor Murphy was an impressive gun to tape winner 27.08 and would have bettered this if there was somebody to chase. In the 2nd Packie Enright made his debut at sprint events and finished third in 27.52. It wasn’t a bad result for someone with no track or speed work of any sort done, but it wasn’t a sensible decision to race either with no preparation; one based on impulse.

Next up was the 1500m girls, and Crona was a decent 4th in Grade A behind fellow national senior finalists Lorraine Manning and Azmera Gebrezgi. In a mere 18 months running Crona has climbed to a level that no one would have expected of her, and the national championship of three days beforehand was her peak of the season. As a result she looked a little tired, and maybe should be on a break from running for a few weeks. She wanted to come back this evening to try for a pb but on such a breezy evening no athlete recorded one. Hopefully she’ll be very pleased with what she’s achieved this year, it’s rare that someone of such little experience progresses so quickly, and the Brady’s enthusiasm is something we can all learn from.

Conor was back in action at the 1500m grade D and did very respectably considering that distance running is not his event. With laps of 84, two 89s and a 56 second last 300m, he was driven on by Paul Duffy’s “come on Conor, you’re dropping off” along the way! Our next club member in action was another novice who punches above his weight, Gareth Murran. Going in grade C, he’d a super race with 3 steady 73s and a last 300m in 48 seconds. He was always to the forefront of the closely knit and cautious pack, looking like a contender and was leading with 120m left. Coming round the final bend the strong wind hit him hard and he was beaten into 4th place. However he did look the part and this maybe his event to concentrate on for next year.

The race of the night was undoubtedly the star studded mens 1500m grade A, bringing together the recently crowned national 10,000m champion from Kenya (who was skulling pints three days previously may I add!), the 800m bronze medallist,steeple bronze medallist, 1500m silver medallist, 5000m 4th placer and the 800m 5th placer. In a fast race it came down to a photo finish with the 5000m US based runner getting the nod over Alan O Brien (by only one hundredth of a second), Josphat Boit also running 3:48; with the wind ruining the athletes faster times they’d hoped for.

And so it was onto long distance which is what our club members are best at in most cases, and by now both the wind and sun had died down considerably. Having raced only 15 mins earlier, Gareth was next up in the 3000m grade C which he won at ease, displaying superior fitness for this grade. Grades A & B were combined in the final race of the night. Packie struggled with poor fitness to break 10 mins with kilometres of 3:08, 3:21 and 3:30. Conor, a glutton for punishment decided for yet another race this evening, and didn’t do badly at all. However Paul was the success story of the night with a pb of around 20 seconds. At the front he was in a group of 3 or 4 Liffey Valley lads and finished in 3rd place. Well done Paul. Also well done to the organisers for putting on a great series for everyone all summer. Another year has passed, and with the exception of a few BHAA races, that’s the end of the Irish track season for 2009.

Men’s 200m, Grade C (I)
1 Conor Murphy Sportsworld A.C. 27.08

Men’s 200m, Grade C (II)
1 Eoin Bradshaw Raheny Shamrock A.C. 24.97
3 Packie Enright Sportsworld A.C. 27.52

Men’s 1500m, Grade D
1 John Healy Dundrum South Dublin A.C. 4.44.83
10 Conor Murphy Sportsworld A.C. 5.18.76

Men’s 1500m, Grade C
1 Paul Gleeson Clones A.C. 4.26.28
4 Gareth Murran Sportsworld A.C. 4.28.93

Women’s 1500m, Grade A
1 Martina Mc Carthy Athenry A.C.4.38.33
4 Crona Brady Sportsworld A.C. 4.56.93

Men’s 3000m, Grade C
1 Gareth Murran Sportsworld A.C. 9.39.67

Men’s 3000m, Grades A & B
1 Ian O’Leary Dundrum South Dublin A.C. 9.06.39
3 Paul Duffy Sportsworld A.C. 9.10.57
8 Packie Enright Sportsworld A.C. 9.59.42
9 Conor Murphy Sportsworld A.C. 11.53.12

Race Report By
Packie Enright

Aoifa Brady, a name to watch out for in the not to distant future. 1 of only 2 representative from Sportsworld to race in these prestiege championships. Saturday evening, 4:25pm National 5k on next, Aoife takes her place on that start line,she looks great,like she belongs. Bang, there goes the gun & there goes the girls,12.5 gruelling laps with a stronge enough wind in your face every time that home straight was hit.

Linda Byrne & Rosmary Ryan were gone from the gun,it was clear from the start it was a 2 horse race between them, how-ever the race for bronze was there for who-ever was hungry enough to go for it. Aoife ran a very sensible race, she knew what she had to do. Staying tucked in the middle of the pack until it was time to go. 10.5 laps gone, 2laps left, 3rd place still up for grabs, just like changing gears in your car,Aoife change her gear fron 3rd to 4th,a gap was opened immediately,600mts still to race & off she goes,from 4th to 5th gear,that was it there was no catching her now. The sound of the bell…1 more lap,arms in full swing,legs in full stride,the field was broken.Aoife went on to clain a very fine National bronze medal in an excellent time of 17mins 38 behind 1st place Linda & 2nd place Rosemary.

Sunday afternoon, 4:05pm, not as windy today, but still a wind none the less, time for Aoife to take her place on the track once again,this time accompanied by her sister & club/team-mate Crona. The 2 girls on the line side by side with some top athletes. The’re off for a very fast 3 & 3/4 laps on a sunny & breezy afternoon of day 2. Although battle ensued between the 1st 3 athletes Deidre Byrne,Roisin McGettigan & Kelly Mc Niece, Aoife hung in for a very good 4th place fininsh. Crona ran with great confidence to notch up a season’s best & a peronal best time of 4min 46 on her debut to this national senior event. Now she has a taste of what its like she could be a name & face to watch for next season.

Well done both of you on very fine performances.

Race Report By
Lucy Darcy

Photos By
Gareth Murran

Crona Brady and Jean Wilson are both entered for the womens 1500m. Both athletes are competing at the championships for the first time. Jean, the National Novice cross country champion from 2006 has raced well over the summer setting pbs at both 3k and 800m (2.18). This is Jeans first year back competing after a year off. Crona, who only turned to distance running 18 months ago has been bettering her pbs at all distances this summer, both on the track and the road. She most recently ran 2.18 for the 800m at the last Irish Milers club meet, with a fine 10.28 for 3k the week before. Not bad for a former triple jumper!

Paul Duffy will compete in the 1500m with heats scheduled for saturday afternoon. Paul has been in terrific form this year setting pbs at all distances most notably at the Dunsahughlin 10K where he ran a huge pb of 34.11. He also picked up a team gold medal at the Inter clubs cross country in February and won the 3000m at the fourth graded meet in Irishtown in early June.

The competition begins at 11.30am tomorrow morning with the women’s walk featuring Olympian Olive Loughnane.

We wish all our athletes the best of luck. And if you have no plans for the bank holiday weekend come out and watch some quality competition!

Full timetable
Report By
Aoife Brady

On Saturday night Sportsworld was represented in the Women’s 800m by Jean Wilson & Crona Brady. Both girls ran very well and came in together 10th & 11th respectively. In fact there was only .24 of a second separating both girls. Crona also got a PB by a number of seconds & both girls are running very well ahead of the National track & field coming up.

Aoife Brady warmed up for the Nationals with a run in the 1500m B race for men. The field left Aoife in the early stages of the race but she maintained her composure & ran steady through out & clawed her way back in. She had fantastic support from the whole of the stadium & it’s great to see a Sportsworld athlete command so much respect from fellow runners who turned up on the night.

Results:
800m women
10 02:18.63 Jean Wilson Sportsworld
11 02:18.87 Crona Brady Sportsworld

1500m Men B
14 04:27.35 Aoife Brady Sportsworld

Thanks to Jakub for the photos and video.

Race Report
Paul Duffy