3 keys to get back to your best shape after the summer break

Summer is there to be enjoyed. But getting back to your routine is never easy. That’s why we the Zurich Maratón San Sebastián bring you the 3 keys to recover your physical and mental fitness to overcome while you enjoy your great challenge at the end of November.

1. Return to sport: The first step is always to get back to training, gradually, avoiding overstraining, so as not to cause discomfort or injury. Listening to your body is the best indicator for establishing the intensity, frequency and duration of your sessions after the summer break. It is also the ideal time to practice other sports with less strain on your muscles and joints, such as cycling or swimming, to prepare your body and get back to running as soon as possible and get back to your target pace, combining both practices according to your levels of tiredness and motivation and paying special attention to stretching.

2. Get back into eating and sleeping routines: In summer (and even more so if you have enjoyed the Semana Grande), the txakoli and the pintxos go like gangbusters. And let it be always like that. It is necessary to enjoy your holidays and not feel bad about it. On your return, the ideal thing to do is gradually starting to reduce the typical summer excesses (such as fizzy drinks, sugar or alcohol ones, very large meals and daily desserts or ice cream) and return to a balanced diet and, above all, to a proper hydration, drinking at least two litres of water per day. How to achieve this? By looking to eat seasonal fruit and vegetables as perfect replacements for summer indulgences, choosing to ingest proteins without sauces or condiments, preferably grilled or steamed, and avoiding eating quickly and/or more than the required amount of food.

As far as resting is concerned, respecting the state of our body should be our maxim. After the summer chaos, calm returns. It is important to respect the necessary hours of sleep, and if you have not had enough rest, do not stress and slow down your pace. It is better not to train at all or train at a lower pace than to push the machine and exponentially increase the chances of injury. Consistency is the only way to speed up the adaptation process to get you back to your best.

3. Get back to your training plans: Either on your own or with the help of an expert, you have surely planned a roadmap to face your distance (10K, 21K or 42K) at the Zurich Maratón San Sebastián next November. Well, it’s time to rescue it from your summer oblivion and get back to it, without rushing. First, get back in touch with regular training, and after several sessions, your motivation and your body will ask you to re-engage with your training plan to achieve your goal. Courage! We’ll be waiting for you at the finish line!