Recovering After the Marathon

First, I want to wish good luck to all my peeps running the Austin Marathon and Half Marathon this coming Sunday!  What a way to celebrate Valentine’s Day!  You all will definitely deserve a celebration dinner afterward! Now, let’s talk about how to recover after running 26.2 miles.

Recovering properly means you need to take into account both nutrition and activity.  I remember when I ran my very first marathon; I ran way too many miles each week (and way too many “other” races!) and didn’t do enough cross training.  I also had some issues with my form (partially due to lack of core strength). As a result, I ended up with ITB Syndrome and had to walk a lot of the second half of the marathon because I was in so much pain and my right leg just would not bend.  I was so tired when I finished that I didn’t feel like eating initially and instead took a nap for about 6 hours! I knew that not eating enough within a couple of hours (max) was not good, but I had no idea how just laying around would make things so much worse.  I got up for a light snack, then went back to bed and didn’t get back up until the next day.  I had a lot of trouble walking the first couple of days; both of my legs were sore for at least a week!  Back then, I was not aware of the benefits of an ice water bath or a short walk later in the day.  

Now I know better!  The more marathons I have run, the less sore I am afterward.  At this point, within a few days I am back to running short mileage, and within 2 weeks, back up to 10+ miles for my weekend “long runs.”  Maintaining a high level of fitness year round and knowing all the little “tricks” to recovery have helped tremendously.  I have found that the single most important thing for my own personal recovery is how well I trained prior to the event.  Hopefully you have followed a training plan that included a good amount of base mileage as well as other exercises to keep your muscles in balance; that is the foundation for your recovery.  If you have not trained properly for your marathon, you will definitely feel more pain both during and after the event.

Some other “must do’s” to speed your recovery: 1. Eat the snacks provided at the finish line.  At the bare minimum drink some sports drink AND water, but ideally eat some solid carbs as well, such as fruit or bars.  Make sure you have a balanced meal that includes protein and some healthy fat a few hours later; 2.  Do an ice water bath for 20 minutes within a few hours of finishing.  You will be amazed at how well an ice bath will reduce inflammation and muscle soreness; and 3.  Go for an easy 10 – 20 minute walk later that evening to loosen up the leg muscles.

It is normal to start feeling muscle soreness after the event, which can last for a few days (and in some people up to 1 week) afterward.  The next day, it is not uncommon to feel a little “down,” especially if it is your first marathon and the soreness and fatigue start to settle in.  That’s o.k.; just try to take it easy.  If you want to go for a run, make sure you run on a nice flat surface, preferably something soft such as a track.  Make sure to take it easy and listen to your body!  Limit your self to just 10 – 15 minutes.  Try some light stretching.  Go to bed early as your body is still rebuilding and repairing tissue that was damaged the day before.  Also be sure to get a massage a couple of days after the race to help flush out any knots.

Even though it may seem like a lot of people run marathons, those of you who complete a marathon are still part of a relatively small percentage of the overall population.  After accomplishing such a big feat, most people experience an incredible high.  Sometimes it is hard to know what to do after meeting such a big goal.  The first week after, try not to make any specific plans.  Continue to eat well-balanced meals and do some light physical activity, but definitely do not push yourself.

If this is your first marathon, it may take you a full month to recover completely and feel like you are back to your pre-race level of fitness.  Don’t let this high level of fitness slip away!  If you don’t feel like you want to run a lot at first, try something else.  Consider cycling, swimming, or hiking.  Maybe try your hand at triathlon.  But please, do not stop exercising.  Your body is at a high level of fitness; keep building on it.  

Best wishes for a great race and a speedy recovery, and I will see you all at the race!