If the 3M Half Marathon on Sunday is going to be your first half, congratulations. You’ve gotten this far. Even though 3M has plenty of sweeping downhills, I can guarantee you one thing: It will not be easy. Any way you slice it, 13.1 miles of running is a long way to run.What also won’t be easy is the first couple of days after the race. Recovering quickly from the rigors of 3M is key, so you can get ready for the Austin Marathon (or half) on February 15th .
 
Certainly you’ll be exhausted right after finishing 3M and your muscles will probably be tight, tired and barking at you. But what may surprise you is just how stiff and sore your muscles will be the day or two after the race.
 
It’s called delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). What will happen during the course of running 3M is your muscles will suffer some damage by the repetitive nature of the pounding they will take. Since there’s so much downhill in 3M, there’s even more pounding than a normal race. Don’t worry, damaged muscles repair themselves quite quickly. The fitter and the bettered conditioned you are, the less damage and the faster the muscles will repair themselves.

Here’s what you can do to minimize the soreness from 3M and recover quicker (these tips are also applicable for the marathon):

1.  Keep walking. After finishing 3M, keep moving. Give yourself a few moments to get your breath and recover. Then, walk over to Waterloo Park where you can eat and drink something. Whatever you do, try to keep moving. Even if you have to hobble, keep walking to the baggage check area. Pull on your sweats and try to walk for at least 10-15 minutes. Later in the day after you have showered and eaten, go for another walk to flush the lactic acid from your muscles and improve circulation.
2. Cold, not heat. A post-race dip in a Jacuzzi might feel good, but it will inhibit recovery. Cold is better. When you get home, cool your leg muscles with cold water or ice them down. Pay particular attention to the calf muscles and hamstrings. Icing these muscles, will reduce inflammation and post-race soreness. Also, avoid heating pads.
3. Drink and eat. The first thing you want to do after finishing  3M is rehydrate and refuel your muscles with carbohydrates. Avoid alcohol and greasy foods. Your muscles are craving the carbs you depleted while running. Load up.
4. Don’t run. The following couple of days you might still be sore. If you are, don’t run. If you must run, go short and easy. Walking is fine; running inflicts more damage on the sore muscles. When you can run without any pain, is when you can consider running again.
5. Use alternative exercises. In the days after 3M, go for an easy bike ride, hike or swim. Any gentle, non-stressful exercise is fine.
6. Continue icing. If your muscles are still sore, use ice for the next day or so to further reduce inflammation. Also consider taking some Aleve or Advil to reduce the soreness.
7. Massage. You might not want to get a massage immediately after 3M (it’s better to keep moving), but a day or two later a massage might be the perfect remedy for sore muscles. Seek out a reputable sports massage expert and get a solid hour of bodywork.
8. Stretch. If you are able to stretch on Sunday, a light routine of 20 minutes of leg stretches will help alleviate the soreness. Emphasize the hamstrings, calf muscles and quadriceps.
9. Avoid long car rides or plane flights. There’s nothing worse than trying to cram your sore, tight legs into a car or airplane seat for a lengthy period. If you possibly can, put off any long trips for an extra day or two.
10. Relax. Give yourself a break. If you feel like taking extra sleep and being a couch potato for a couple of days, you’ve earned it