Snowy Running means tired muscles!
Do you see the snow that’s lining the streets? It’s really cold when you step in the slush! It’s not as much snow as we saw fall last year, but it fell quickly… and it fell on the heads of the Dreamfar athletes as they pounded the Boston Marathon route on Saturday morning.
This week, the Dreamfar students ran up Beacon Street, up Chestnut Hill Ave, and up Comm Ave – it was a lot of uphill running! On top of running up the gradual hills, the team was required to focus on their balance and use different muscles than usual. If you’re more sore this afternoon than other weeks, that’s your answer. As your legs and feet slip back with each step on the snow covered roads, your legs are required to regrip and brace against a fall or different movement. The students might not notice the different muscle use. (it’s good to be young! Enjoy it while you have it!) Mentors are most likely feeling a little strain on the muscles. For either group, a good habit and relief of the strain is to stretch.
Stretching can be a complicated aspect of running, or it can be very easy! Check out this short guide from the Mayo Clinic on 10 basic stretches. A few are outlined below!
Hamstring Stretch
Why? – Easily tightened while running and often tensed up when running in the snow!
Hips
Why? Constantly working to raise your knees while running!
Calf Muscles
Why? The calf muscle is the large muscle on the back of the leg, below the knee. It’s main purpose is to flex the foot down while running and contract to point the toes. With that, it is very important to stretch the calf muscle to alleviate any tightness in your Achilles.
