Breathing heavily after running a race is your body’s way of

yes. i think it is for sure.

the more fit you are, the faster the recovery. your heart rate drops most sharply in the first minute after you stop exercising; it should then fall about 20 beats a minute—a drop of less than 12 beats a minute is considered abnormal. this “recovery heart rate” is measured as part of an exercise stress test.

clean the wound to make sure of no infections.