This week came to light a video of the Half Marathon in Philadelphia in which we can see a runner who, a few meters from the goal, you begin to loose legs and has to be helped by two other runners that the They carry on their wings. After this, a third runner approaches and, seeing that he can hardly stand, he chooses to carry her in his arms until a few meters before the finish line, where he puts her on the ground so that he can finish on his own foot.

It is difficult to analyze these videos because we can never be 100% sure of what had happened to the woman (had she given him a bird in the middle of the finish line? Had she been dragging that condition for a few kilometers?) Or what was thinking at that moment (I guess the only thing I was looking for was to reach the goal, since it was a few meters away, sit down and recover).

But this does give us a reason to know how we should act if we see that someone gives a pájara during a race or if we are the ones who suffer it. We give you the key points both to prevent it and to treat it once it has appeared.

The pájara, although it is a term that comes from cycling, is already used for any other sport: it is basically used to refer to the state of extreme fatigue that the body reaches after long-term training, which occurs when there is hypoglycaemia( we do not have reserves of glycogen in the body – neither in the liver nor in the muscles – as to keep moving).

How to act before a bird

• When a bird gives us it is necessary that we stop the activity at the same moment we are aware of it. It is not worth slowing down or slowing down if we are running: it is mandatory to stop because, if not, the consequences can be worse.
• Eat foods and drinks that contain sugars of fast absorption so that the body assimilates them as soon as possible and can recover. A good option can be dried fruits, replenishing drinks or energy bars.

The keys to preventing the pájara

Prevention is better than cure, and even more so in sports. The best way to prevent a pájara is not to take our body to the extreme, prepare well all the training prior to a race and plan the refreshments both liquid and solid that we will carry out in it. This last point, basically, is what can save us from a hypoglycemia: have a good dinner the night before the race, have breakfast properly to our needs and having tried the supplementation with gels and drinks will save us more than one fright.

On the other hand, it is important that we know the symptoms of a pájara so that we can identify them and we are able to stop before they go to more: cloudy vision, dizziness and even hallucinations are the clearest symptoms. If you begin to notice them, stop and think what may be happening to you. It is better to lose a few seconds or not to cross the finish line of a race than to pay it a few kilometers later.

Did these guys do well in carrying the woman almost to the finish line or should they have assisted her in the same place where she had stopped? Personally, I think the one who did the best was the boy who picked her up and did not keep her walking , even if she was helped. Of course, being only a few meters from the finish line could also think that just at the arrival would be where they could best serve medical services. It is complicated to make an assessment only with the images of a video.

In any case, as we have said, better prevention than cure : prepare races properly and especially hydration and nutrition.