PT-Approved Marathon Recovery
Leave a CommentMarathon training is a months-long, demanding endeavor. Early morning runs, careful attention to our food and water intake, and dealing with fatigued legs dominate our training season. Once the marathon ends, we deserve a well-earned rest: physical and mental. However, proper recovery from running a marathon should prepare us for our next physical pursuit, not just promote relaxation. From minutes to weeks after racing, our post-marathon timeline has different considerations to help our bodies recover. Want to know what each stage of recovery from a marathon should include? Read below to plan your first steps of recovery at the finish line.
Minutes After Completing a Marathon
Immediately after finishing the marathon, most of us instinctively rest our aching feet. While sitting down sounds tempting, if you plop into a chair directly from the finish line, you will likely cramp. A better idea is to keep walking through the finish chute, grab your post-race drink or snack, and stay lightly moving. Think of this light walk like you completed cool-down jogs during your training season.
Most marathons are held in the fall, which likely means cooler weather plan to have a change of clothes. You will definitely appreciate getting out of your sweaty, lightweight racing kit and into warm pants and dry shoes.
Hours After Completing a Marathon
Cryotherapy or whole-body ice baths have become increasingly popular over the past few years. This technique can be beneficial for improving mental resilience and subjective comfort but isn’t as clearly helpful at the physiological level. If ice baths have been part of your training for a while, go for it. However, don’t think that your first cryotherapy is going to recover your body in Eating a big meal within hours of finishing the marathon is a far more reliable method of helping your body recover. You spent hours exercising, and your body needs fuel; don’t consider this a time to restrict your calories. Additionally, many runners consider a nice meal part of their psychological recovery. Treating yourself after the marathon signifies the conclusion of your hard work!
Days After Completing a Marathon
Even professional runners take a multiple day running break following a marathon. At the cellular level, your body will still be inflamed and sore for multiple days after the race. Plan on taking a full week off running after the marathon, but don’t plan on sitting on the couch for 7 days. Instead, go for some easy walks or hikes. Alternatively, complete low to no-impact cardio such as easy biking or swimming. Any of these strategies will keep your body moving and maintain blood circulation to promote healing but avoid the same impacts you experienced while running over 26 miles.
Weeks After Completing a Marathon
It is wise to wait a couple of weeks before resuming strength training. When you first start your resistance exercises, focus on strengthening any pain points you experienced during the marathon or the training season. For example, if your Achilles tendon gives you some pain, your initial plan should focus on strengthening your calves and foot muscles. Aside from your specific pains, aim for a general, total-body resistance workout. Most runners significantly decrease weekly mileage once we hit the running off-season, which is a great time to focus on strengthening.
Are you still dealing with aches or pains even a few weeks after your marathon? Connect with an endurance rehab expert at Athletico! Find your closest location at Athletico.com and schedule a free assessment with a physical therapist who can help you get back on your feet.
*Per federal guidelines, beneficiaries of plans such as Medicare, Medicaid, Tricare, VHA and other federally funded plans are not eligible for free assessments.
The Athletico blog is an educational resource written by Athletico employees. Athletico bloggers are licensed professionals who abide by the code of ethics outlined by their respective professional associations. The content published in blog posts represents the opinion of the individual author based on their expertise and experience. The content provided in this blog is for informational purposes only, does not constitute medical advice and should not be relied on for making personal health decisions.
References:
1. Wilson, L. J., Cockburn, E., Paice, K., Sinclair, S., Faki, T., Hills, F. A., Gondek, M. B., Wood, A., & Dimitriou, L. (2018). Recovery following a marathon: a comparison of cold water immersion, whole body cryotherapy and a placebo control. European journal of applied physiology, 118(1), 153–163. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-017-3757-z
