Turkey Day 5k - Are You Hot to Trot, or Not?

Kicking off the Thanksgiving holiday with a turkey trot 5K is all about the energy; festive costumes, lively crowds, and that brisk fall air!

It’s the perfect blend of fitness, fun, and a little friendly competition before the big feast. However, if you happen to find yourself at the starting line after a last-minute "Oh cool, that sounds fun!" from a buddy, and maybe you're not exactly in 5k-shape, suffering from an injury or severe muscle soreness after your fun-run can stop you in your tracks like tryptophan.

Running a 5k without training can be a tempting and accessible scenario to find yourself in!

Without proper conditioning, muscles and joints aren't fully prepared, increasing the likelihood of soreness and injury. Pushing under-trained muscles too hard can strain them, making recovery longer and more painful than expected.

So if you haven't been training but just may find yourself at the line-up to trot next to a life-size turkey or ear of corn costume, here's what you can do now to give yourself the best chance at enjoying the rest of the holiday feeling your best.

- Log some miles:

Begin walking to build tolerance to your leg muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Aim for 3-4x/week, beginning with 20-30 minutes if you're not in great shape right now, 45-60 if you have a bit better stamina. If you've been training, but not particularly running, make these efforts walk-runs to get used to the loading of running, progressing to fully running.

- Hydrate and stretch daily:

If your body hasn't been used to exercise lately, give it a jump at recovering by hydrating and mobilizing your muscles. Stretching and self-massage using a foam roller or a massage gun can help your muscles adapt to the increase in demand of the race. Aim to hit 50% of your body weight in clear fluid ounces daily; if you're not near 50% at the moment, increase by 5% every 4-5 days until hitting 50%. The week of the trot up it to 60%. (Example: body weight 200lbs, aim for 100 fluid ounces of water daily, then 120 ounces during Thanksgiving week.

- Warm-up prior to running:

Spend 5-10 minutes getting your heart rate up and moving your body gently to increase the blood flow to your muscles. This can be as simple as some power-walking, whole-body dynamic stretching, jumping rope, or jogging in place.

Muscles typically start adapting to exercise within 2 to 4 weeks, so if you start now you'll just start to notice the benefits when the race comes around.

During this time, muscles go through neural adaptations improving coordination and efficiency, which will reduce your risk of injury and improve your recovery. This way come race day you'll be able to enjoy the festivities care-free and pain-free!