Traveling After a Race
What a week! Why does it always feel that the week after a long weekend is extra crazy? We are prepping for a huge event next week at work which keeps me on my toes and my running milage is steadily climbing which leaves me little time for much else right now!
I am looking forward to this weekend because I have a lot of movement planned! I am meeting with my personal trainer for our first session, I have a hilly long run planned with a friend on Saturday morning, the Endurace on Saturday night and a loooong road cycling session in Ancaster with a friend on Sunday.
This past week, I received an interesting question from a reader and I thought it was important to cover as we head into heavy racing season and chances are, you have a destination race or two on your schedule.
I’m running a marathon in two weeks and then getting on a plane that evening. Any suggestions?
Do I ever!
Let’s talk about deep vein thrombosis for a moment. DVTs are blood clots that develop in the deep vein of the leg. This can be very serious because the clot can break off, travel to the lung, and cause severe breathing difficulty and even death.
What does that have to do with runners and flying? Well, runners’ bodies adapt to running by making the veins and arteries larger in their legs. If you sit for a long time and are scrunched in an airplane seat, the blood can pool in your larger leg veins, and clot. That and with the edge of the seat pushing on the back of your knee, preventing or slowing venous return–could be all you need to set up a clot.
What can you do to prevent a clot from forming?
On flights of three hours or more:
* Do not sit in one position for more than an hour. Get up and walk every so often. I honestly have just paced up and down the aisles. It helps to relieve leg stiffness.
* Do calf stretches once an hour, standing and leaning against a bathroom wall. Yes. I have done it. Yes people look at you funny. I suggest saying “I’m a runner.” It normally explains most things. This will not only prevent blood from pooling, but will keep your legs from cramping up after putting in all those miles.
* Stay well-hydrated. And think of it this way, the more you drink, the more you ensure you are up every hour…
* Avoid crossing your legs at the knees and ankles.
* Wear compression socks.
* Consider taking an aspirin if you are quite concerned. It prevents blood clotting.
Have you ever flown after a long race? What precautions did you take?
Anyone else racing this weekend? What are you doing?
