Working out can actually help alleviate soreness.
That’s what “they” say anyway. So I got up and ran a looooong 5K distance yesterday in hopes of working out some of that delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) from Monday’s Peachtree Road Race.
Stats:
- Distance – 3.14
- Time – 25:31 mins
- Pace – 8:06 mins
DOMS is the pain/stiffness you feel 1-2 days after a tough workout. It refers to the little tears in the muscle rebuilding after you’ve broken them down – and it is an important part of the muscle-building process. Light exercise, easy stretching, and massages are all good ways to alleviate DOMS.
Note: DOMS is not to be confused with injury or pain from doing too much too fast. If you’re experiencing that soreness, you need to REST.
The food you eat post-workout is also important. Lots of nutrients are a must – I like to load up on protein, fruits, and veggies.
Peaches are all over my Peach State right now. The season is ON and sweet, juicy peaches are everywhere.
Fun fact: after the July 4th Peachtree Road Race they hand out peaches in addition to the usual bananas and bagels.
For lunch I decided to use some of the peaches my grandfather gave me from his trees in a soup. With a side of (not pictured) chicken.
This chilled gazpacho is a great light, summery started or side dish. The serrano adds an unexpected bit of heat on the end of each crisp, sweet bite.
I didn’t add sugar/honey/agave, but you certainly could if you like a sweeter soup or your peaches aren’t as flavorful. If you aren’t a fan of heat, reduce the amount of or leave out the serrano pepper.
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Peach Cucumber Gazpacho
- 1 large peach
- 1/3 C cucumber, peeled and diced
- 1/4 C yellow pepper, diced
- 1/2 oz goat cheese
- 1 T apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, sliced in half
- 1/2 serrano pepper
- 1/8 C cilantro
- 1/4 C coconut milk (not canned – the So Delicious variety)
- S+P, to taste
Combine sliced peaches, cucumber, yellow pepper in a medium bowl. Add the goat cheese, vinegar, olive oil, a couple shakes of salt, and garlic clove. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
In the morning, remove the garlic from the mix and throw away. Pour the remaining contents of the bowl into a blender and add serrano pepper, cilantro, and milk.
Puree until smooth and creamy. Season with salt and pepper; you may also add agave or honey for a sweeter soup.
Refrigerate until well-chilled, allowing flavors to combined (at least 2 hours).
Pour into 1-2 bowls and enjoy!
Makes ~1 cup.
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A HUGE thank you to everyone for the comments you made in response to yesterday’s post. You guys made my day so much better. 🙂
What do you do to recover after a hard workout?
I don’t know about when you were there, but when I tried to get a peach after the peacthree, they were all hard as rocks!
That’s a great soup. The cucumber is cool and the peach will provide the tangy taste! Perfect soup to try out this summer!!
I usually do a light workout if I’m sore. I’ve heard a hard workout is more likely to tear/injur really sore muscles, but a light workout seems to make mine feel better.
Thanks for the fun fact about the end of the Peachtree Road Race. Interesting!
Mmmm. peach + cucumber soup. Sounds like a good detox soup. When I used to run cross country I would usually drink a ton of water and eat a protein bar of some kind. Those were the days of those cardboard protein bars…. can’t remember the name but they tasted like crap haha…. protein bars have come such a long way!!
What a cool combination! I bet this soup tastes especially good after a hot run.
I have a hard time doing “recovery runs” that work out soreness without making myself sore all over again. Now that all the terrain near where I live is extremely hilly that’s even more difficult. Some morning yoga often does the trick for me!
Wow – what a creative soup idea!
I would be pumped to get a peach after a race! And I am one of those weirdos that totally likes DOMS, haha.
Oh wow – peach and cucumber sounds like such an amazing flavor combination! What a creative idea 🙂
This sounds amazing!
Bonus for adding serrano to that delicious-looking soup. Great idea! 😉
I got 2 peaches after the race. One was PERFECT, the other was hard.
After a really strenuous workout, I consume as much protein as I can, and almost always do some sort of lower-intensity workout the following day.
I know working out helps alleviate the muscle pain–but BOY is it tough to do! Kudos to you for getting out there and running again 🙂
What a very interesting combination of flavors! I adore chilled soups through the summer and this sounds truly refreshing and healthy!
I always suffer from DOMS! I did the first time after a race and oh me oh my… my thighs! Owzaaa haha. Anyways.. your soup.. oh gosh I wish I lived in GA!
This is a wonderful post-workout soup. Perfect for my aching muscles which are killing me from Tuesday night’s ride! I’m back at it tonight, hopefully it will loosen things up 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
Oooh peach and cucumber soup!! How do you come up with these things?! Sounds lovely and so refreshing!! I’m also one of those strange people who loves to ache after a workout… I don’t really do anything to get rid of it unless it’s so bad I can barely walk. Then I can sometimes coerce Luke (my manfriend) into giving me a massage. Hurts but it works! 🙂
What a yummi-sounding soup! I guess I could skip the goat cheese and still get a great reslut! I love fresh cooling soups in the sunny weather- thanks for sharing 🙂
Oh to have a peach tree! Looks wonderful.
I would have never thought to put these ingredients together but this sounds delicious!!
I usually stretch or work out a different part of my body.
And peaches and cucumber! What a cool combo. You are one of the most creative bloggers I know!
Oooh, when I saw the title I wasn’t sure how the soup would work, but vinegar and goat cheese? SO IN.
I would never steer you wrong! 😉
That sounds really refreshing, and it looks absolutely delicious! I didn’t realize you could use So Delicious coconut milk to make creamy soups. What a fabulous idea!
My friend is cooking with some youth here in NC tomorrow and has to use cucumbers… guess whose recipe I’m suggesting to him?!?!??! AWEsome!