Directly after running the Comrades, Virgin Active's Regional Group Training Manager for Gauteng North, Fiddy Gay Van Pittius, recommends icing the quads, hamstrings, calves and feet each for 10 minutes at a time.
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Soak in a warm-but-not-hot bath later that same day. After this, rub Arnica gel on the legs before going to sleep.
The next day, go for a 20-minute walk to stretch and move those sore muscles. Another good idea is to get in a swimming pool and walk around or gently swim in the shallow end.
On the second day after the Comrades Marathon, take a slightly longer walk to ease sore muscles. After the muscles have warmed up, gently stretch the major muscles that are sore.
By the third and fourth days, muscles are ready to be gently used again on a stationary bike for 20 minutes at the gym. Then, spend 15 minutes thoroughly stretching all sore muscles.
Gentle cycling, swimming for a week
For the next week, continue gentle cycling or swimming at the gym while gradually increasing the amount of stretching for each muscle group to include smaller, more specific areas of the body. Remember to only stretch after exercise.
Running can begin three weeks after gentle exercise and intense stretching.
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