Many would have run a spring marathon recently and there will be a lot of very sore legs out there. If you are planning one, you might want to think about your post-race recovery now.
One thing is for sure, you will be very sore in the 3 or 4 days post-race. Don't worry but it is a given! You will gradually lose the soreness but getting back to running needs some planning. Here are our top tips for post-marathon recovery.
Expect your quadriceps and calf muscles to be very sore and stiff in particular. You may well not be able to walk downstairs normally and will need to go downstairs backwards – I'm serious!
Book in a massage. Tell them to go easy though as you will be very sore. They just need to help ease out the stiffness and free up the muscles.
If you're a member of a gym that has a spa, go and sit in the jacuzzi for a little while; anything to help ease out those legs.
Get enough sleep, your body repairs itself when sleeping.
Eat very well. Your body needs good food give it the best chance of recovering quickly so give it some wholesome fuel. It might be worth taking a good multivitamin for a couple of weeks to ensure you've got everything you need.
Try and keep moving. Keep the muscles moving by going out for walks if you can or maybe a very easy swim. 'Active rest' now will help the muscles ease out and they should recover quicker than being idle.
Forget running! Take at least a week off and ideally two. Let everything re-charge and recover.
It's also good to get a mental break, de-stress. You've trained for a long and arduous time. Go for a long walk somewhere scenic and relax.
After two weeks you may be getting the itch to run again. That's fine but remember, you've now got to build back up to what was pre-marathon 'normal'.
Don't let your mind get carried away. Ease back in to your running. A super-easy 20 mins first time back is fine.
Mix running with stretching to ensure you can build up without stiffness.
Take at least two weeks to build back up to a 60min jog. What's the hurry?
Plan for the next race!
We hope the marathon races go great for you but remember the post-race plan!