How To Recover After a Race | What To Do After Marathon and Half Marathon
Did you just finish a marathon or half marathon? Are you wondering what to do after your race to speed up recovery? In this article, we are covering marathon and half marathon recovery tips! We are going to talk about what to do (and not do) after your marathon or half marathon!
First off if you are reading this it means you probably have completed a recent race, so kudos to you first and foremost! Races are an awesome way to challenge ourselves and test our fitness level and to see if all that training and miles you have been logging is paying off from a performance perspective. Shout out to my Connecticut runners who just finished the Hartford half or full marathon or race series!
Team Healthy Runner Half Marathon Training Group
In this week’s episode & blog, I will be talking about post-race recovery tips and answering these common questions:
– Can I run the day after a half marathon?
– How long should you rest after a half marathon?
– When to start running after a marathon?
What I am going to do is break down 3 distinct phases. In each of these phases there will be 4 specific tips to help you recover quicker so you get back to what you love running in a healthy way without getting injured! The phases are:
1. Immediately after
2. Day of your race
3. Days following your race
Click the video below to watch the LIVE video within the Healthy Runner Facebook Group
Before we get into the content, I want to express that post race recovery is going to look a little different for everyone! It is going to be based on your ability, fitness level, running experience and dietary needs. However, these guidelines will help you navigate the day of the race as well as the week that follows so you can bounce back as quickly as possible.
These recovery tips are going to come in 4’s! Just like our classical elements come in 4 and I know you can relate to this as runners. (earth, Air, Fire, Water)
We run on the earth, breath the air, feel the fire in our legs, and need the water to keep us going!
Alright, let’s get into it!
Immediately After Your Race
1. Move and walk!
Keep moving and walking (if you are experienced then go for a 1-2 mile easy jog to flush out some of the waste in your muscles). DON’T SIT! By walking, you promote active recovery-you’re still pumping blood through your fatigued muscles and simultaneously clearing all the excess metabolic waste (lactic acid) that you accumulated during the race, he says. There’s another important reason why continuing to move is so important: Since your body had been pumping blood and oxygen to the working muscles, stopping abruptly can cause blood to pool in the lower extremities, decreasing your blood pressure. That can cause some runners to become dizzy or light-headed and even pass out
2. Begin Refueling!
Banana and oranges are great fueling options after a race!
Post race you need to have about 200-300 calories of simple carbs and 20% protein… (banana and orange is about 150 calories so think about a small bagel or bread with that). Myself I like to bring my plant based protein with me to races since most races don’t have non dairy options for protein.
3. Rehydrate!
Drinking water after a run
Get back any hydration you lost by drinking some water. The recommendation is 16-20 oz. after finishing and then another within the next hour and continue until rehydrated. Your urine should be light yellow. This color indicates a person is hydrated. Any dark yellow/amber usually indicates dehydration. If you’re feeling that dry mouth, thirsty feeling, you’re already dehydrated and you need to, need to, need to get some water into your body!
4. Replenish your Electrolytes!
Get in your electrolytes! Myself, I am a big fan of UCAN hydrate. Important so you don’t just urinate all the water your are consuming. The sodium in electrolytes is important to allow your body to absorb that fluid intake that you’re getting when you’re drinking your water.
UCAN hydrate electrolyte replacement
Click HERE for all the info on UCAN and to get a 15% healthy runner discount!
Day of Your Race
When you’re back at home after your race, there are some key things you’re going to want to do to make sure you are recovering in the right way!
1. Soak those feet & muscles!
This doesn’t have to be an unbearable ice bath. The main objective here is to get your worn out muscles into a cool water bath. You can soak your feet and legs (up to your knees) in a cool tub that is 20 degrees cooler than your body temperature for 15-20 minutes. This will help to reduce any post-race inflammation.
2. Keep Moving!
post race stretching with yoga!
You have to keep moving! No matter how tired you are – don’t allow yourself to plop down on the couch and just stay there. You need to keep moving periodically throughout the day. Try to go for walks that are about 10 to 30 minutes in length, at least 2 to 3 times in the afternoon.
3. Elevate and Compress!
When you are laying down and resting, make sure you are elevating those legs! Recline your legs with your feet above heart level compression sleeves may speed recovery and reduce the possibility of blood clots after the run. Research shows that compression sleeves around the calf muscle can improve performance also.
4. Refuel.
Make sure that you are still replenishing your fuel. You can do this with small meals every 2-3 hours (25% protein, 20% fat, 55% complex carbs to build back your glyocogen stores that were depleted during your race).
The Days Following Your Race…
Recovery doesn’t end 24 hours after your race. It’s going to take some time and you have to be patient and kind to yourself and your body. You just did something amazing!
1. Muscle Care.
Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Massage performed at SPARK Physical Therapy
Foam roll or get a massage. This can help with DOMS, Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness. DOMS peaks at 24-48 hours after you’ve exerted your muscles. Foam rolling or getting a massage may be helpful at flushing out your muscles and decreasing the soreness you have. Click HERE for more information on Muscle Care.
2. Walk or Run
In the days after your race, you want to keep moving – but not at the same intensity as before/during your race. Depending on your level of fitness, how sore you are, and how many races you have done this can vary but we are thinking an easy, conversational pace run.
Walking after a race can help you recover!
3. Don’t Race
As mentioned in step 2, it’s okay to keep moving but don’t try to do another race. It is recommended that you wait at least 3 weeks to jump into a 5-k coming off a half or full marathon and 4-6 weeks before doing another half! It’s important to give your body that time to rest and restore!
4. Post Race Let Down… It’s NORMAL.
When you run a race, and you finish, you feel like you can do anything! Like I said before, you just did something amazing. You have a high and then the letdown happens. That’s okay. It is completely normal and I promise you that you’re not the only one who has felt that way. Are you wondering how do we get over this though? Try one of these and see if it helps – Set a new goal, schedule social runs with friends, scenic runs, or fun events. Focus on something new and kind to yourself to get you out of the letdown faster and back to running!
Wrapping it up…
Remember, Running Recovery will look different for everyone, so some things may work for others that don’t work for you and vice versa! Try different things and see what works best for you! Everyone’s running story is different. Most importantly, remember to refuel and give your body the chance to really recover so that you can continue to do what you love, staying active and staying healthy!
I hope that this week’s content was beneficial for you and will help you following your next race!
SPARK will be here to cheer you on at your next race!
WAIT… check this out before you go!
Before your next run, training session or race implement the latest from SPARK… It’s our 5 minute Dynamic Warm-Up! Please take a moment to watch the video, drop a like and subscribe to our YouTube Channel so we can continue creating the best content for our healthy runner community!
You can also listen to Dr. Scotti share this information on the Healthy Runner Podcast…available wherever you get your podcasts!
Here is what other runners are saying about the podcast
Thank you (running friends) for taking the time to read and I hope you enjoy the podcast episode!
Warmest regards,
– Duane
Duane Scotti, PT, DPT, PhD, OCS
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