Tomorrow is Coeur d’Alene’s first Half Ironman a 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike course and 13.1-mile run. For many it will be their first time getting into an Ironman race. For others it will be pre-race prep for the full Ironman in August.

Folks who are making their first Ironman attempt may be wondering if they are mentally prepared. For the elite athletes and pros it’s another push to best their time and, perhaps, win. Almost all the competitors know it is only a 70.3-mile race and are accepting that their efforts and suffering will be much less than the full 140.6 miles. Most will push their bodies to the limit and understand the shorter race is as much mental as it is a physical commitment. Whether a half or full Ironman, it is demanding on the competitors’ bodies.

Both seasoned athletes and first-timers will make some mistakes, with missteps finding their pace or misjudging hydration and fueling to maximize their race results. Both swimming and running techniques will be put to the test with execution that is hard to master during the race. Many will develop injuries that will not manifest until they are finished and off the course.

Then there are the mental challenges of transitions, the disorientation and dizziness an athlete feels coming out of the swim to the bike, and again, mentally struggling to move wobbly legs as they come off the bike into the run. Each athlete will need to keep their mind clear to make each transition seamless and avoid both frustration and confusion.

Most of the athletes competing this weekend will feel pretty good about being ready and have developed a race plan around each segment of the course. However, once the race is over and they have shifted into the sweet soreness and exhaustion of finishing, will they start to consider their post-race recovery and recuperation.

For elites and veterans, they pretty much know what to expect and what to do for proper recovery. But what should the new or infrequent athletes making their dive into an Ironman race do for post race recovery?

What the seasoned folks know about coming off a 70.3 is very important, you don’t jump back into training for 48 hours after a race. Many folks are eager to improve form and keep their pre-race momentum up post race, so they make that mistake instead of taking a few days off to actively recover. Taking two days to rest is a cautionary move because a racer’s body needs to repair and recover. That is not to say a very low impact recovery activity such as a short swim or hopping on your bike for a quick ride to loosen up isn’t a good idea. It may be a perfect way for some athletes to flush out soreness, jump-starting recovery.

Elite athlete with years of experience certainly have an edge on proper recovery. Others with less experience should take a look at this perspective of best practices on post race repair and recovery.

Here are a few best practices to follow:

• Keep in mind that after any intense exercise that lasts more than two hours your body will need some level of recovery. This will vary from person to person but the approach is the same and timing may differ. Limit your post race training to low impact and allow time for your body to start the healing process. Since training hard is a prerequisite, you should know much downtime versus light exercise you need with a certain level of precision.

• Delayed onset muscle soreness or DOMS is inevitable and every athlete feels it to some degree after intense exercise. The actual time frame that DOMS shows up with the most intensity is between 24 to 72 hours post race. The primary cause of this sometimes very painful onset is micro-trauma to your muscle fibers. Your best bet for relieving the onset of DOMS is to ice the most-affected areas for 15 to 20 minutes, repeating as needed over the next 24 hours.

• Endurance events spike your cortisol and tax your adrenal system. High cortisol levels found with endurance athletes are not normally a cause for concern, but overtraining caused by a lack of recovery time can have negative health effects that lead to imbalances. These imbalances can be seen in the form of fatigue, immune suppression and brain fog. Make sure you get plenty of post-race sleep. A few good nights of rested sleep will quickly help balance your overall hormone levels and reduce your body’s stress and cortisol to a more normalized state.

• Massage therapy can be one of the very best ways to jump-start your post race recovery. First and foremost, deep tissue massage can remove the toxic build up of lactic acid in the muscle fibers, speeding up recovery. In addition, it will loosen you up and give back flexibility to tight muscles. The increased blood flow alone that the massage provides can be key to knocking days off your recovery time. If you do not have access to a massage therapist, try myofascial release using a foam roller to help break apart your soft tissue adhesions and remove lactic acid build up. Ether type of massage, by a therapist or roller, will break apart trigger point adhesions and really help promote repair and recovery.

• I can’t say this enough, “LISTEN to your body!” The old saying no pain no gain is nonsense. If you’re hurting, your body is indicating a potential problem. It is critical to be very aware of your aches, pains, hydration levels, and other key physical conditions.

When it comes to endurance training post-race, we are not created equally, so take four or five days of down time then start slow, building to a comfortable level without becoming excessive. Remember it’s based on how each athlete heals and recovers so it’s OK to take the time your body needs, whether a few days or few weeks.

Recovery should become a big part of your training regimen and you can absolutely bet the very best elite athletes with world standings have built in a great recovery program as part of their overall training.

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Judd Jones is a director for The Hagadone Corporation in Coeur d’Alene.