Stretching. Yes I know you all probably could have thought of that on your own, but it really helps if you do it at the right time. Right after you do something physically straining, you need to stretch. Everyday after track practice, my team stretches together. It helps keep your muscles loose, even when they really want to tighten up. Another thing you can do is get a rolling pin (or a fancy rolling stick thing that all runners have) and have someone roll out the sore spots. This is really effective for your legs. After a really grueling week of track, I have her roll my legs out. It is probably the most painful thing ever, but it really does help. You could probably rub some icy hot on there to get it real nice and loose while they're getting rolled. Before track meets, I spend at least thirty minutes just stretching. It's kind of funny how flexible I can get!
Oh man who would ever want to do an ice bath? ME! I'm tellin you, they work miracles! I don't know what it does, but holy cow you feel like a new person afterwards! Yes, it is the worst thing of your entire life when you first get in, but after like two minutes, your body goes numb. If you're a first time ice bather, I would say only go right to ten minutes, but for all you pro ice bathers out there, kick it up to fifteen minutes! It really feels fabulous once your done!
I'm sure there are a thousand and ten more ways you can relieve muscle soreness, but these are the two methods that work best for me. I do know that it's better than doing nothing, so if you have muscle soreness, don't be afraid to try these two things. Stretching isn't hard, but ice baths can be kind of scary. Once you get your first one done, the other ones won't be as bad. You just have to rip the band aid off and get it done!!
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