A CANNABIS-CONSUMING RUNNER SHARES HER POST-RACE RECOVERY ROUTINE
After participating in the recent San Francisco Marathon, Tiffany Chenoweth should’ve felt exhausted when she went to work the following day.
After all, she’d just run 13.1 miles in the half marathon competition in a little under two-and-a-half hours.
“Usually when I come in on Mondays, everybody knows I worked out too hard because I’m waddling or I don’t want to take the stairs,” says Chenoweth, who works in education and social media. “I don’t usually run long distances in my training, so when I do run, I’m usually sore.”
“This post-race Monday, however, Chenoweth says she felt, well, fine. “I was in no pain,” the 37-year-old recalls.Â
After the race, in addition to her regular recovery routine, she’d added Om Edibles’ cannabis-infused epsom salt to her hot bath. The soak had made all the difference.
FITNESS + CANNABIS: A WINNING COMBINATION
In fact, Chenoweth, who lives in the Bay Area and is a Caliva brand ambassador, says she often incorporates cannabis into her pre- and post-fitness routines. “It helps me get prepared, it helps me with recovery and it helps my performance,” she tells us.
Chenoweth became passionate about fitness in the late 2000s after a bad car accident. That’s also when she got a medical prescription for cannabis to help with pain, though she’d been consuming cannabis long before her accident.
“Through yoga, acupuncture, chiropractic care and cannabis, of course, I healed up and started on my first mile run that I've ever done since high school PE,” she shares. “I ran a half marathon and amazed myself, so I started to run more and more.”
Chenoweth is an active member of the San Francisco running community, and is a co-captain of the Concrete Runners CRew, ambassador for Represent Running race series and was co-lead for the San Francisco chapter of Mission I'M Possible (MIP).
She loves running because it allows her to connect with herself both physically and mentally. “It’s also a great way to explore your surroundings as well and build community. Even though it seems like it’s an individual sport, it really isn’t.”
“Because Chenoweth has always used cannabis in various ways for healing, it seemed natural to include it in her workout life — and she admits she notices a difference when she does.Â
Chenoweth says she’s only recently started having conversations with fellow runners about how cannabis can enhance performance and aid in recovery when she recruited some friends for the Caliva Running Team for the Bay to Breakers.
It’s obvious the stigma still exists, she says, since few people were jumping at the opportunity for a free race bib at this iconic San Francisco running event. But “[cannabis] could actually help you in so many ways. Don’t think of it as something that could actually prevent you from being your best self.”Â
AN AVID RUNNER’S PRE- AND POST-RACE ROUTINE
Here’s how Chenoweth uses cannabis to help her before, during and after a race:
Focus: If she has a race planned the next morning, Chenoweth sometimes smokes the night before to help ease her nerves. “It helps me to really think about what I need to do the next morning, and what steps I need to take so that I have my best performance,” she says.Â
Performance: “Before a race, I like sativas for more energy, to keep my mind focused on what I signed up for — and keep my anxiety low. I go over the route in my mind, think about the challenging parts of the race (in San Francisco there are hella hills!) and where I can boost my energy on the easy parts.”Â
Recovery: “Cannabis has anti-inflammatory properties to it, so I use it to help heal my muscles and prevent soreness.” It also helps her relax so she can focus on healing and recovering instead of getting distracted.
By all accounts, Chenoweth is a serious runner. Earlier this year, she signed up to run a half marathon and a 5K in San Jose — the races were back to back the same day!
“I was being really ambitious,” she says with a laugh.Â
During the hour-and-a-half break between the two races, Chenoweth grabbed a rideshare to visit Caliva (which is headquartered in San Jose) for the first time. There, she purchased a Caliva House Doobie Sativa Preroll before heading back to run the 5K.Â
“I think it made it less stressful for me,” she recalls, instead of wondering why she’d signed up to run another three miles after already running 13. “It really made me feel more confident and more focused. I can’t believe I did it.”
Chenoweth’s Post-Race Recovery Routine
- Have a beer or mimosa right after you cross the finish line to celebrate.Â
- Replenish all those calories with a meal that includes anti-inflammatory ingredients (such as grilled salmon or a hearty salad).
- Go home and take a long bath with OM Body Epsom Salt Soak - Athletic
- If in pain, slather on some THC- and CBD-infused pain relief lotion. Tiffany’s preference: Caliva’s Muscle + Joint Inflammation Lotion - Maximum Strength
- Before bed, take a few hits of an indica strain using a vaporizer. Tiffany says she prefers to vape with her Pax instead of smoke post-race to avoid coughing, which aggravates any soreness she feels in her core.
- The following morning, include a banana in your breakfast for the potassium to help with sore muscles.Â
Chenoweth’s Preferred Strains
