Congratulations! You just finished your fall marathon, or maybe you’re about to. Either way, it’s normal to wonder what happens next. For some, the thought of running again is dreadful, and they’ll enjoy taking a few weeks (or even months!) off. But for others, they’re eager to get back out there in order to avoid the post-marathon blues. The question is: how and when?
Well, that depends on how you ran and how you feel. Some experts recommend one day of rest for every mile raced, or 26 days of rest; and some even recommend one day of rest for each kilometer raced, or 42 days of rest.
Remember, running a race at a sub-maximal effort is different than racing it. But the reality is that there is no exact formula to follow for recovery after a marathon, so the best guide is really tuning in and listening to your body.
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The good news is that “rest” does not mean no running at all. It just means taking a break from high-intensity training like speedwork or other races for about two to three weeks. So there’s no reason to become a couch potato!
Minimal soreness is a good sign, but give it a few days to kick in. Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) typically follows most marathon efforts. The soreness results from microscopic muscle tissue damage, and the severity of it depends upon the fitness level of the individual and the intensity of the effort relative to the training effort. The degree of soreness indicates the extent of muscle damage, and this will influence the duration of the recovery period. In other words, the more soreness, the longer the recovery. A lack of soreness indicates you were well prepared for the demands of your race, so good job with your training!
As a general guideline, I suggest taking three to seven days completely off after a marathon. Sleep in, eat, and enjoy your accomplishment. After that, begin an active recovery program. Active recovery includes light exercise and even some running, if you are not sore.
“Light” exercise means exercising at a low-intensity level, i.e., no more than 60 to 65 percent of your max heart rate for a relatively short duration, less than 60 minutes. Activity actually helps you recover faster than inactivity because it promotes circulation. Good circulation delivers fresh oxygen and nutrients to muscles and carries away metabolic waste and, therefore, aids healing and recovery.
Walking, running, riding a bike, stretching, or swimming for 30 to 60 minutes at low intensity will promote circulation and assist your recovery. Massage therapy and foam rolling can also help relieve muscle soreness and assist recovery by increasing the body’s circulation, too.
Avoid a hot bath or the hot tub for 48 hours after the race. Cool water baths with some ice will help minimize soft tissue inflammation during the first 48 hours post race. Fill the tub with water and hop in. Then, slowly add ice to the water to minimize the cold shock factor. You can wear a sweatshirt and sip on a hot drink while you cool down your legs. After your ice bath, plan on lying down with your feet elevated (Legs up on a wall is a good one). After 48 hours, barring no injuries, you can take a warm bath or use the hot tub.
Return to running with some easy-paced, short runs when muscle soreness has disappeared. One training option is to follow your taper plan in reverse to rebuild your mileage (this is known as reverse tapering). For example, your first weekday runs would be in the 3 to 6 mile range, the first “long” weekend run would be around 6 miles, the following weekend is around 8 to 10 miles, and then a 10- to 14-mile run the weekend after that. Future mileage will depend upon how you feel and your future running goals.
I also like to recommend monitoring your resting heart rate (RHR) for an objective assessment of your recovery process. When your RHR returns to its normal pre-marathon resting heart rate, you are ready to begin running again. As you return to running, be aware of your breathing and heart rate while running. If your heart rate spikes up, or your breathing sounds like a locomotive, you know you are still recovering from the marathon. These are signs of fatigue, so take it easy until your exercise heart rate and breathing rate also return to their normal ranges.
The recovery period is a good time to decide what you want to do next. Planning your training and setting goals is a great way to use your time during recovery.
Susan Paul has coached more than 2,000 runners and is an exercise physiologist and program director for the Orlando Track Shack Foundation. For more information, visit www.trackshack.com.
