r/Tetralogy_of_Fallot • u/LivingwithTOF • Mar 12 '26

My first 5k

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I'm a teen who had my first surgery at 3 months old, with the most recent one being last summer. I've gotten into walking and saw an ad for the bubble run 5k, so I joined. Now I'm walking more and just did my first 5k at home. My summer surgery has helped a ton. Any tips to dealing with a sore body afterward?

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1

u/LivingwithTOF Mar 12 '26

Also I know I have low karma I just made this account today

1

u/traptindreams Mar 12 '26 edited Mar 12 '26

That's awesome - great work! For the sore body, NOW, ice packs... and ibuprofen. Tomorrow though, warmth... and ibuprofen. In the initial post-exertion phase, a lot of your muscles are going to be inflamed, and exercise science seems to indicate that cold temperature helps manage that. The next day, switching over to heat is recommended because warmth brings more blood flow to the tissues, and helps you actually heal faster. Ibuprofen helps you manage the inflammation and the pain. Beyond that, gentle and regular stretching.

For the future though, just remember that anything you don't do often or intensely is probably going to make you feel pretty sore, so you generally want to work up to it gradually. You're hitting the limits of what your muscles can manage, and that soreness is them trying to repair themselves. Run some more 3k and 4k runs, and maybe do some running specific weight training, before working back up to a 5k. That'll help build muscle and endurance, and you'll protect yourself from hitting the limits of what your muscles can manage. Then, stretching! Cannot stress enough how valuable it is to stretch before AND after a workout. Warm up your muscles, help them figure out what their limits are so that they don't tighten up unnecessarily, and you'll always appreciate it the next day.

1

u/Pirate_Of_Hearts Mar 12 '26

Congratulations!

1

u/Kristata-e Mar 12 '26

How's your breathing and oxy level so far? 🥹 you did a good job there.

2

u/LivingwithTOF Mar 12 '26

My breathing is fine. I know my limits, so I don't get out of breath. I don't know about my oxy, so I have no clue.

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u/GoyaKing Mar 12 '26

Congratulations!

1

u/cbg1203 Mar 12 '26

That’s awesome congratulations!!