Training for a long-distance event is a major effort. Often it can take 16 to 20 weeks or more to properly prepare for events like the marathon or long-course triathlon. Likewise, recovering from that event doesn’t just happen overnight. We have to lead our body over time, just like training, and it can’t be rushed without increasing risk for injury. This varies with experience, but it is never a bad idea to play it cautious in recovery. You earned it!

The age-old wisdom that I was taught was you should rest a day per mile of the event before returning to intense training or racing. Now, this was specific to running but the wisdom holds true. The longer the event the more breakdown that occurs and the longer it will take for our bodies to return back to baseline.

During the course of a marathon our bodies breakdown muscle and fuel, and there are chemical byproducts from the work that you performed such as lactic acid and creatine kinase. These get transported to the blood to be recycled but can linger for weeks after the event. This effects our sleep, our dietary needs, our kidneys, and our preparedness to handle further stimuli. The recovery doesn’t end when your muscles stop “feeling” sore.

How to set your body up for success when recovering from a Marathon

1. Sleep and fueling are the frame for your recovery window – Sleep is where your body repairs and recycles the broken tissue and works to return to balance. What you eat provides the ingredients your body needs to perform the repairing work. Aim to be eating at least 1.5 gram/kg of bodyweight of protein. Drink at least half your body weight in ounces of water per day. Aim to sleep 7-9 hours per day.
2. Active recovery is the best recovery – Don’t be afraid to take a break from running for the first week and prioritize other activities you enjoy or cross train, such as walking, swimming, biking, and yoga, to help stimulate blood flow. Complete rest is rarely the answer.
3. Avoid intensity in the first week after your event – Reintroduce running gradually. Aim for shorter, easier runs to start with a mix of cross training. Slowly increase the frequency or duration of your runs as you feel you are able.
4. Listen to your body – As you return to activity you might notice the return of some aches and pains that were present during the race or the end of training, or perhaps new pains you haven’t felt before. Respect these areas. Your body is trying to draw attention to areas that don’t feel quite right. Now is the time to address these concerns and work to get healthy before adding in more training. Your body went through a tremendous amount of stress during your event. Don’t make the mistake of underappreciating or ignoring the signals your body is sending. Take some more time after the event and consider seeking out help from someone who understands your sport.
5. Respect the psychological side – You trained and sacrificed greatly to do this event. Regardless of whether you accomplished all of your goals or not, the emotional toll cannot be ignored. Some people experience the “marathon blues” or anxiety due to the loss of what was driving them for so long. This can be unsettling. The healthiest athletes that I treat don’t ignore these feeling or pretend they don’t exist. They take time acknowledge them, grieve or celebrate them, and then reorient. Consider journaling about your experience or getting coffee with a friend to give a race recap. Take a minute to plan out your next goals. This can be signing up for another race in the future or setting your sites on another challenge. The next thing doesn’t have to be running but whatever it is will more successful if you take the time properly close the chapter of this book.

As with most things, the execution is just one piece of the pie. You spent considerable time and energy preparing for your event. Don’t neglect the walk down from the summit – there are a few tripping hazards on the way down 😉 If you need any help with your recovery process or need someone to listen to your experiences, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We want to celebrate with you! Cheers for now.

– Chase