post-marathon

[Heather!]

so my friends, i'm getting ready for my first full marathon (woot! woot!) and i'm trying to get an idea of what i should be doing in the days following the race... what kind of recovery time should i expect and what kind of workouts can/should i do?

someone was telling me about this woman who ran one and then just did a short run a few days later and broke her ankle because of all the hairline fractures she accrued during the race. now, i'm assuming she was just your average chick who wanted to jog through a marathon and maybe wasn't in the best shape ever and i know i'm in pretty good shape and my body takes a beating pretty regularly so i think i could bounce back pretty quickly... but i'm not real interested in breaking anything so any advice would be great!

[Matthew]

Also look at the bottom for a good link. It has a day by day guide, and a week by week for starters and advaned. Have fun with your race.


Six Steps to Speedy Marathon Recovery

1.Marathon recovery begins the minute you cross the finish line. Keep walking at least 10 minutes after you cross the finish line to allow your body to return to its resting state gradually. Get your medal, take your photos, pick up your gear and keep walking. It will allow your heart rate and blood flow to return to its normal state as well as reduce the risk of blood pooling in your legs which can cause fainting. Get up and walk around 10 to 15 minutes every few hours for the rest of the day.


2.Refuel depleted muscles as soon as possible with a meal that includes carbohydrates, protein and sodium. Fuel is most efficiently absorbed in the first 30 to 60 minutes post-race. A peanut butter and jelly sandwich, banana and sports drink is one example. If you struggle with eating post-race, try a liquid recovery drink. Recovery drinks are formulated with everything you need to refuel your body--carbohydrates, protein, electrolytes and fluid. A good ole can of V-8 or chocolate milk works well too.


3.Within a few hours of finishing, soak your body in a cold bath, lake or ocean. Fill the tub with lukewarm water, add ice and soak for five minutes. Just like a baseball pitcher’s arm post-game, a cold water bath will aid in decreasing inflammation, thereby speeding the recovery process. Avoid hot tubs post-race. Although they sound like a lot more fun, the heat can impede recovery.


4.Sip fluids throughout the day to replenish fluid losses. Monitor your urine for adequate hydration levels. If your urine is pale yellow like lemonade you are adequately hydrated. If it runs dark, continue to hydrate. If it is clear, hold off on fluids as you may be over hydrating. Continue to replenish fuel and electrolytes (sodium, potassium) by eating small, frequent meals throughout the day.


5.Schedule a massage two or more hours post-race. Massages too soon to finishing the race can create more soreness. Massage can have a dramatic effect on post-marathon recovery times, and they are a wonderful reward for finishing a long season of training and all 26.2 miles. You can also perform your own massage with some of the products on the market like "the Stick" and foam rollers. They are great for deep tissue massage for hamstrings, calves, thighs and hips.


6.Actively rest with lower impact activities like swimming, cycling and yoga for seven to ten days post-marathon. Give your body and mind a full week off the demands of running, and it will reward you with an efficient recovery. Running too much, too soon post-marathon is the quickest way to an injury.
Follow a reverse taper when returning to your running regimen. That is, start with a few 30- to 40-minute easy paced runs and test the waters. If things feel good, gradually increase the duration and frequency of the runs. Keep the running intensity easy for at least three weeks post-marathon. And most importantly--listen to your body. If there are lingering aches and pains, consider taking a few more active rest days and let things heal completely.


Here is that link!!!!

http://www.halhigdon.com/postmarathon/zeroweek0.html

[Racing Colorado]

Matthew's post is a good one. I'd recommend being careful with the idea that because your body can take a beating you can get back into it quickly. That may be the case, but it could just as easily be the case that you discover your 'breaking point'. Just like training and other races, I think recovery time is specific to the individual.

I once ran a really crappy marathon (my run sucked, not the course), finishing over 4 hours when my goal was under 3. I felt good the following weekend and entered a race with a friend. It was one of those 10k/half-marathon/marathon races, where you can decide during the course which finish line you go for. I had intended to do an easy 10k but felt so good the first few miles that I decided to go 13. That race ended up giving me a PR for the half. I think it's due to the fact that conditions other than fitness hindered my marathon (jet lag, diet, etc.). So I didn't need weeks of recovery.

You can use some of the overtraining symptoms as a guide - high resting heart rate, cold symptoms, irritability, fatigue feelings, etc

Best of luck in the race!

[Heather!]

omg he lives. how's it goin?

[Pablo]

Matthew's post is definitely top-notch. Definitely make sure to keep walking after you cross the line so you don't get stiff - very important!

My idea of post marathon recovery involves lots of eggs and waffles right the race after generally followed by some beer later that night. Since I'm generally un-scientific about what I do, I don't run for a week or so, but instead go biking, swimming, and climbing a lot. I actually hit the weights too and that seems to aid the recovery, just don't hit 'em too hard. And then ease your way back in. You'll be hitting the ground in no time.

[Andrew Chandler]

First off: congrats on taking on the full. As you will see, it is so much different than the half or anything out there.

I agree with Matthew. I will say that no matter how good one's body is... a marathon will make pretty quick work of even the heartiest of us. I can pretty much say that I ignored all of the steps and paid for it by being sidelined for 8 weeks. I cannot emphasis how important it is to keep walking after you're done. I'd say 15 minutes. Certainly, hydrate hydrate hydrate. Plus one of those gels will work after a race in terms of sodium and electrolytes.

[Heather!]

thanks all for your advice! i think the hardest thing is definitely going to be not running the week after... i run every day... usually twice a day... for me not running is like not eating. but i'll just have to keep in mind that it'll be better to not run for a week than to run, get injured, and then be out for a month or two (yeah, easy to say now but we'll see how i handle it then).

anyway. just 3 more weeks now!

[Heather!]

thanks all for your advice! i think the hardest thing is definitely going to be not running the week after... i run every day... usually twice a day... for me not running is like not eating. but i'll just have to keep in mind that it'll be better to not run for a week than to run, get injured, and then be out for a month or two (yeah, easy to say now but we'll see how i handle it then).

anyway. just 3 more weeks now!

[Heather!]

okay. so i just noticed that i posted that twice. and it won't let me delete it. real cool.

[Matthew]

You got to be cool or else it would not let you post twice!

[cody daneille]

i feel you on the not running the week after. i dont think i waited a week but true story the full is way different than the half...maybe youll not feel like running like a maniac...maybe you will. try n talk yourself out of it though, but gl bc that shit aint easy. once your mind says youre running, you dont have the choice. i totally know your struggle. but you will kill it. get ready to hurt someones feelings. (:

[Heather!]

it's so hard for me to even take a rest day... i haven't taken one in two months and last night i was like "okay, tomorrow, you're absolutely definitely not running tomorrow" but this morning when i woke up that idea went right out the window. luckily (i guess) we had one of our two hour flash blizzards this morning so that made it much easier to just stay in and eat a shitload of cereal. i can not picture not running for a week.