The San Silvestre It is one of the most popular races in Spain.
On New Year’s Eve, thousands of runners take to the streets to participate in one of the last competitions of the year that has a 10-kilometer route. And the San Silvestre Vallecana is one of the most athletes hospitalizations congregate and more multitudinous, with more than 40,000 runners.
Whether in this race, which is held in most Spanish cities throughout December 31, or in any other competition, it is essential to follow a series of basic guidelines.
In this way, injuries will be avoided, the race will be faced successfully and recovery will allow us to enjoy New Year’s Eve without any discomfort.
How to run the San Silvestre without setbacks
From the Professional College of Physiotherapists of Castilla-La Mancha, they remember ten tips so that “possible muscle injuries” do not spoil the runners’ holidays and they can enjoy themselves before, during and after the race.
- Training. It is very important to “have planned the training well in advance and with running and technical routines that allow us to arrive at the appointment prepared.”
- The day of the race. We must have rested enough the night before the competition and avoid heavy meals in the hours before the race.
-
Wear clothes that we have previously used. Nothing brand new sneakers on the same day as San Silvestre.
-
Make a correct stretching program as a complement to training: Correctly stretch the muscles most requested by exercise before and after the race. Physiotherapists explain that before the race, stretches can be shorter and less demanding, forming part of the warm-up.
-
Make a proper preheating. Very easy running 15 minutes before the start of the competition is sufficient.
- Hydration. Drink half a liter of water an hour before the race and take small sips during the race.
- From less to more. This must be the technique in the first kilometres of the career. Avoid excess pace and Do not stop the activity suddenly when reaching the finish line. Specialists advise continuing jogging for a few more minutes.
- Cryotherapy. Apply cold after intense sports activity. This helps reduce muscle spasm and inflammatory processes. It can be done with applications with cold-packs or immersion in cold water (no more than 10 minutes because there is a risk of burns).
-
After the race and during training: stretch. They must be slow and global SGA type. It is an alternative stretching method to the traditional one, developed by the Frenchman Philippe Souchard and which follows the principles of Global Postural Reeducation. His practice is based on doing stretching muscle chains slowly and progressively instead of by isolated muscles, as is done in the traditional way
-
For more efficient muscle recovery, you can also perform massages to prepare the muscles, before and after the competition.
