Recovering from a prelim for a 3k for the first time

1. 100% focus on the final. float through the prelim, do as little work as possible, and treat it as a warmup for the next day. it's just business.

2. definitely do everything you can to recover. ice bathe, foam roll, elevating legs, compressing, hot shower, are all important, but getting decent sleep (sometimes it's hard at a hotel or the night before a big race) of at least 7 hours is absolutely necessary. 9-11 hours is better. eat as many complex carbs as you can handle leading up to the race (less as time passes, obviously) and be sure to take some protein to help repair your muscles overnight.

i use to sleep in compression socks to stay fresh, and i found it actually worked quite well. maybe you don't want to, but it helped me. i have yet to experience any negative health effects as a result.

Thanks for the response! I forgot about the option to wear compression socks over night. I have before and definitely will thank you for the reminder.

Focusing 100% on the final before your prelim is a terrible idea...unless you're one of the top seeds with a huge kick. Overlook the prelim, and you could just be very well rested for the final that you won't have qualified for.

Eat, hydrate, ice, compression, sleep.--do anything that makes you feel good again the next day. then shakeout the next day.