On October 13, the 39-year-old mother of two youngsters beneath 10 years previous, licensed realtor, {and professional} runner for Nike will line up on the 2024 Chicago Marathon—her sixteenth race of this distance—and he or she couldn’t be extra excited.
“I am pumped for [the Chicago Marathon]—it’s flat and it’s quick,” D’Amato tells Nicely+Good. “Operating a marathon is tough, so why ought to we throw a bunch of hills into it? The Chicago Marathon is tremendous aggressive, the crowds are unbelievable, and the town actually exhibits as much as assist the race.”
D’Amato has a singular historical past with the Chicago Marathon: She completed fourth within the ladies’s elite area in 2021, after which returned in 2022 and 2023 as a commentator for NBC within the car that drives simply forward of the pack of lead ladies runners.
“I prefer to say that I’ve run my legs and I’ve run my mouth in Chicago for the previous three years,” D’Amato says. “This yr, I’m again to working my legs, even when working my mouth is a little bit bit simpler. However I undoubtedly obtained a lot FOMO each time I wasn’t there to run, so I’m actually excited for the chance to run this yr.”
D’Amato and her household relocated from the midwest to Park Metropolis, Utah, earlier this yr to assist her working profession, and D’Amato says it’s executed the trick—she’s quicker than ever and loving the journey of constructing her prowess within the elite area.
“[Moving to Park City] has been a giant change for me, but it surely’s been superior,” D’Amato says. “My [running] quantity has been larger, my exercise hundreds have been greater and higher, and I’ve been doing very well with the load. I’m coming into Chicago actually match, wholesome, and feeling good.”
As amped for the Chicago Marathon as D’Amato is, she values the downtime after a giant occasion simply as a lot so she will deal with duties round the home, spend extra time together with her youngsters, and provides her physique a break.
Associated Tales
D’Amato shares her prime 5 ideas for locating pleasure and restoration in her downtime that anybody—skilled runner or weekend warrior—can apply to their life.
1. Nourish your physique
As quickly as she crosses the end line of a race, D’Amato says she has one thought: meals.
“Individuals ask me what my favourite post-race meals is, and it truly is the closest meals to me on the end line,” D’Amato says. “I say that jokingly, however getting in meals as quickly as attainable after a race and within the days and weeks following is so vital for restoration—particularly protein and carbs.”
As a result of her full-time job is to run—and run quite a bit—D’Amato says she all the time loses a little bit of weight unintentionally throughout a giant marathon construct. However throughout her post-race recovery, she makes positive to eat numerous her favourite meals.
“Within the weeks after a marathon, I consciously attempt to acquire again the burden I’ve misplaced in order that I’ll be robust and nourished for the following race construct,” D’Amato says. “I eat every part I wouldn’t usually eat in extra throughout coaching, like root beer floats, that are a private favourite.”
Each skilled and newbie runners can profit from discovering consolation and pleasure in nourishing their our bodies with loads of good meals after a giant race.
“Regardless of how the race goes, it’s vital to not lose sight of the truth that you simply ran a marathon, and that’s an enormous accomplishment. There’s all the time one thing to be happy with.” —Keira D’Amato
2. Get a therapeutic massage
Most athletes know the way soothing it’s to have somebody work in your muscle groups after a tricky exercise or grueling competitors. For D’Amato, massages are a non-negotiable throughout her restoration downtime.
“A therapeutic massage is such an effective way to jumpstart your restoration,” D’Amato says. “Therapeutic massage helps get blood flowing once more in any swollen or achy muscle groups, and that all the time helps me really feel bodily and mentally a bit higher after extending myself in a race.”
D’Amato tries to get a therapeutic massage inside the two days following a race earlier than her muscle groups and joints develop into too swollen and stiff.
Whereas massages will be an costly luxurious, some races supply free or discounted post-race massages both within the finisher’s space or on the race expo. Native therapeutic massage faculties may additionally supply massages for a decrease fee, too.
3. Use compression gear
If D’Amato can’t entry a therapeutic massage as quickly as she’d like after a race or taxing coaching session, she makes use of compression instruments like Normatec boots to maintain blood successfully circulating by her legs.
“Any leg or calf compression boots will do, however I actually just like the Normatec Go boots ($356),” D’Amato says. “I’ll use my Normatec Go boots after I’m touring to races or again residence. I feel it’s so vital on your physique and your mind to verify blood is flowing effectively all through your entire physique.”
Normatec boots—and most leg and calf compression boots—are TSA-approved to be packed in carry-on baggage and used in-flight. Your legs will thanks for caring for them, particularly as a result of leg swelling will be frequent whereas sitting for lengthy intervals of time, like on a flight or highway journey.
4. Give your self grace
D’Amato finds a number of pleasure from all the course of behind being an elite runner: the coaching, the racing, and the restoration. As a result of she loves the method a lot, she’s in a position to give herself grace when a race doesn’t go fairly to plan, and have a good time it when it does, just like the time she set the previous American document within the marathon in a time of two hours, 19 minutes, and 12 seconds in 2022.
“Whether or not you hit your objective or missed the mark, it’s wholesome to replicate and determine what you’ll be able to study from the expertise,” D’Amato says. “Often you’ll be able to pull extra from the races that don’t go your method, and you need to use these alternatives to degree as much as be a greater particular person by the robust occasions, and conversely, study what went properly from the nice occasions.”
D’Amato likes to “zoom out” after a race and to remind herself {that a} decade in the past, she didn’t even have the arrogance to coach for a 10K race. In contrast to many U.S. skilled runners who flip to the elite ranks instantly following a collegiate working profession, D’Amato stepped away from the game after working in school and didn’t return to it for practically a decade. When she got here again to working, she constructed again to her elite type and has by no means seemed again.
“I all the time like to search out the silver lining. There are such a lot of issues out of your management throughout a marathon—some could go your method and a few could not,” D’Amato says. “Regardless of how the race goes, it’s vital to not lose sight of the truth that you simply ran a marathon, and that’s an enormous accomplishment. There’s all the time one thing to be happy with.”
5. Reconnect with different facets of life
A big a part of D’Amato’s life is taken up by working as a result of it is her profession. However whilst an elite runner, D’Amato nonetheless enjoys connecting with the opposite components of her life which are fully unrelated to working, particularly after an vital race.
“I really like the chance to compensate for every part that I used to be too drained or too busy to do throughout a marathon training block,” D’Amato says. “Throughout these weeks post-race, I really feel like superwoman. I’ll clear the home, arrange my bookshelves, and do enjoyable issues with my youngsters, like take them to a strawberry patch or pumpkin selecting.”
D’Amato says making these different components of her life a precedence when she isn’t racing reminds her that she’s a “full particular person” with many pursuits and enjoyable issues she likes to do outdoors of working.
“I really feel fortunate that I’ve this full life through which working is a giant deal to me, but it surely’s not every part to me,” D’Amato says. “I feel switching out of ‘working mode’ and going again to who you’re and connecting with every part that makes you who you’re is a extremely constructive factor. Whether or not you win or lose, working is just a sliver of your life.”
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