Usually after a meet I am wiped out. I am looking for suggestions on how to prevent the post meet zombie effect.
I think age may have a little to do with it but - IMO - if you're not wiped out to some degree, you didn't swim hard enough.
Drink lots of fluids after the meet and (I) usually plan on swimming relatively easy at the following days workout - if I go.
Usually after a meet I am wiped out. I am looking for suggestions on how to prevent the post meet zombie effect.
I'm always a zombie after a meet too, especially a 2+ day meet. It usually takes me 3-4 days to feel better.
I agree with Jim. Lots of fluids and easy swimming/easy exercising to help flush the lactic acid. Massages help speed recovery too. I usually opt for a massage before a big meet. But once I did it after, and it really helped.
If it is a mid-season meet I think of the meet as a lactic acid stress workout,so I want to be tired.If it is a taper meet,I'll take it easy for a few days-long slow swimming.
If it is a mid-season meet I think of the meet as a lactic acid stress workout,so I want to be tired.If it is a taper meet,I'll take it easy for a few days-long slow swimming.
I agree with the comments and suggestions above. I'd also add this. Don't skimp on your warm-down after your last event.
I'm more with Allen than with Craig on this one. Regardless of the meet, I never cool down after my last event. I actually LIKE being sore the day after. If it's an in-season meet, I've found I feel crappy the next day (sometimes the whole week) anyway (the high of competing has worn off), so I may as well wallow in it. If it's a taper meet, I'm probably taking a break anyhow.
I agree with the comments and suggestions above. I'd also add this. Don't skimp on your warm-down after your last event. You may be tempted to hit the showers/restaurant/bar/bed/all of the above soon after your last event. But a 20 minute warm-down will flush out all the lactic acid and help you keep from feeling sore the next day. I don't know if there is anything to do to prevent feeling exhausted if you raced hard.......
LOL - This thread really interests me. I'm never tired after a meet. I typically have great practices right after the meet. I'm starting to think meets are a break from my training. I warm down lots after each swim and I drink a good recovery drink immediately after I'm done for the day.
The only other thing I can add is that I make sure to go to practice the following day. I used to take a day or two off and I found (years back) that I would be very stiff. The college gals I swam with (and their coaches) recommended to get in and swim the next day as that's what they do to prevent soreness, stiffness, etc. First time I heard this I thought they were all insane. But it works for me. . . but I guess I also train significant yardage over what I actually race, warm up and warm down in a meet.
1. 100 yd warmdown
2. 20 min. hot shower
3. Good-natured high-volume locker room discussion with teammates and competitors about all the reasons you didn't go faster in all of your events/how out of shape you were for this meet
4. Start nodding off at the bar after three beers and some bar food
5. Three advil, bed
6. Call in sick to work on Monday
7. Tuesday, good as new.
I am always exhausted after a meet. I've got to take several days off to recover. Lucky we've got twins to make sure those days happen. Honestly, I'd say, my pool time warm down is never enough; recovery drinks aren't enough. I guess I'm not in shape enough.
As I suspect, some masters swimmers like myself have to take various health conditions into consideration in recovering from a meet. In my younger years, I all too often made the mistake of riding on endorphins and adrenalin from the meet and went into practice the next day, tearing up the workout. Inevitably, I would get sick or get into a cycle of being so fatigued that my next meet would be disappointing.
No matter how good I feel the day after a big meet, I make myself stay out of the pool for several days. I do other types of exercise like walking and yoga. I'm just an average masters swimmer, but I've been able to do masters swimming for 16 years now without any intervening injuries from swimming.
One thing I have noticed over the years is that you really never know how tired you are until you slow down. Sometimes you need to slow down so that you can feel just how tired your body is.
If memory serves... you might consider my focus event "distance". :)
I need a longer cool down to feel good even after practice. Of course, I have never done that much at the end of a meet, but at the end of practice I will do between 4-600 yards to cool down. Expected cool down is only 1-200 yards after practice.
I do remember! I was actually sort of chastising myself. I usually have to force myself to swim a 200 cool down at the end of a meet. I'm sure I'd feel better if I did even more.
