Last week I talked about The Week Leading Up To Your Race and The Last Two Days Before Your Race, so I thought that today I would talk about Race Recovery.
As soon as you finish your race, grab a water bottle and keep walking around to let your legs cool down. If it’s a cool day and you’re wearing shorts, walk to packet pick-up to get your bag and put on long pants and a jacket as soon as you can. If you’re meeting friends after the race, walk to your meeting point. Basically, do anything that keeps you walking around for at least 10-20 minutes. Continuing to move your legs will help prevent lactic acid build up and will help keep those overused muscles from cramping.
Once you’ve allowed for an appropriate cool down, find a place to sit, stretch, and even put your legs up. If massages are available, your legs will thank you for taking the time to get a quick rub down.
Cruisers relaxing post 2002 Marine Corps Marathon
Make sure to have a bag or two of ice ready in your refrigerator, and if you’re up to it, fill your tub with cold water and ice just deep enough to cover your legs when you sit down in the tub. I always wear a sweatshirt and pool shoes to try to keep somewhat warm.
After your ice bath and shower, take a well deserved nap if you want. You earned it! 🙂 Plan a relaxing dinner with friends and celebrate your accomplishments. Continue to eat high carb foods for a couple of days and be sure to add some protein to aid in muscle recovery.
Cruisers enjoying dinner after 2010 Marine Corps Marathon
I like to take a few days to a week off from running after my marathons. Consider this a great opportunity to take walks with your non-running friends! If you’re new to running and this was your first race, get back into the swing of things quickly or you might stop your healthy workout habit. Find a fun 5K or 10K a few months away so you’ll have a new goal to work toward. Lift weights to get stronger in the off season, and consider taking yoga to increase your flexibility.
Jerome in Warrior pose at Red Rock Canyon
And of course, try to find a cool group of runners like the Cruisers to join for weekend runs. Not only will it help keep you focused, but it will add a whole new level of fun to your running!
Cruisers celebrating five years together in 2011
- Questions:
- How many days do you allow after your marathon before you run again?
- Have you ever taken an ice bath after a long run or race?
- What’s your favorite race recovery tip?
I am starting to dread wondering why I ever thought another marathon would be fun when I think about what I do in the 5 minutes after crossing that finish line (look for a place to keel over). I usually wait 5 days and then do a small, easy jog. Love it! I do love races that end near natural water so I can take a natural ice bath in a river or lake or ocean.
I remember your race this summer where you went for a dip in a lake after you finished. Soooo jealous! 🙂
After my first half I gave myself a week. Since then I’ve stuck to 3 – 4 days.
Ice baths are the best! Especially in the Colorado river!
I’m already looking forward to my October 26 nap!!!
A nap that you will deserve!
I never walk enough after- we are usually back in the car and headed home. I’ll use this post as an excuse for my husband next race!
Glad to be of service! 😉
Here is the Yin yoga sequence I did after the South Riding Tr in August. First I followed the cool down rules, walk, hydrate, keeping moving. In a Yin Sequence the pose is held to a state of release breating into the area of the opening. hold for at least 2 minutes but don’t push the opening..just let it happen and BREATHE.
2 rounds of Sun A and Sun B
Humble (low) lunge to open the hip flexor on one side and adductors+glutes on the other.
Piegon – Opens hip flexor on one side, piriformis/ outer hip on the other
Baddha Konasana – Butterlfy with foward fold. Low and mid back.
Hero to reclining hero – Opens quads, tops of feet, shoulders and chest. – in this pose if the plantar tendon cramps (at it may after being on your feet for 10K to marathon, tuck the toes to stretch the plantar. progress from shins to top of feet to minimize cramping of the foot. Also give your toes some love as they got you to the finish line also.
Jerome RYT 200 [email protected]
Jerome, I’d love to do a photo sequence of this for a post if you have the time! 🙂
I’m bookmarking this post for after Richmond. One thing on my post-race to-do list: full-body massage, maybe a week or two out, after I can walk again!
I just got home from your neck of the woods about an hour ago… What an exhausting trip. The Mother of All Meltdowns was waiting for me when I got home, and I can’t wait to start reading it! Thank you!
I thought your last Race Preparation post would be the end of the series. How could I forget post-race!? I try to walk around for a bit and stretch after the race. Barry likes to go back to the camper/hotel and shower and take a nap. I like to shower and then stay up and soak in every ounce of race day. I always feel like I’m losing some of the day if I nap 🙂 We will see what I feel like doing after Charlotte in a few weeks.
I took my first ice bath last weekend after my 20 miler. It was torturous lowering myself into that icy water, but once I was in my legs went numb after about a minute. I think it did wonders for my recover, because my legs and joints were feeling pretty good the next morning.
I’m glad you tried an ice bath and felt positive results. I’m amazed at how much better I feel the next day.
Since I have only run one full marathon, I think I waited a few days before going for a walk. I have done many halfs but they don’t seem to ever slow me down. In general I feel pretty good the next day so I keep up with my normal workouts.
Thanks for stopping by my blog! And yes, I’m the very same way about running after a half. It’s probably because I run 10-12 miles every Saturday so my body is used to that mid-distance.