Recovery from the marathon will depend on many things. Each person is different. How much mileage you did in your training, your age, how well you hydrated in the race, race weather and course, how flexible you are. There are many different factors and how you recover will be different for each person. As we have said all along, you must listen to your body and it will help guide you.At the finish line. Your recovery begins with your first step after the finish line. The finish area will make you keep walking. The will give you water and food. No matter how well you hydrate on the course, you will be somewhat dehydrated. So drink the water. Take plenty, get more. One test, keep hydrating until your urine is clear. You also need to start replenishing you body. As we said in nutrition, you need to begin replace the carbohydrates within the first hour after you finish running. So take the food they give you and eat.
If you have an injury, see the medical tent and they will see what they can do for immediate relief.
Your natural reaction may be to sit down and rest. Immediately after finishing, unless you have an injury, you will want top keep moving for 10 –15 minutes. (This will probably come about naturally as you walk thru the finish area, gather your checked bag and walk around to check on your friends.) After this period, if you sit, that is fine, just try not to sit in the same position of an extended time. You may cramp up.
Once you get to the hotel/home. If you have an injury or soreness, treat it. Ice, anti-inflammatories. Stretch, but do it lightly and make sure you do pull anything else.
Getting cleaned up. Hot shower/whirlpool/hot tub versus the cold shower. The doctors would say cold shower. Most people can’t do that. Just watch out with the heat. You are dehydrated and overheated from the marathon. Too much of the heat can worsen the condition. Take a nap if you wish. A lot of time people are so keyed up they can not nap, but if you can get a short sleep, go for it.
Late in the afternoon, you want to move again. A 15-20 minute walk to keep you loose. People ask about the post race party. If there is music and a dance floor, it is actually good for you to keep you moving. The dancing may not look pretty, but it will help on the recovery.
The next few days.
If you have injured areas, remember the ice and anti inflammatory.
The likelihood of you being sore is high. Coming down the stairs on Sunday morning may well be an adventure. This is very normal. Physiologically, the running of the extended time has built up a high level of lactic acid in you legs. The next task you have is to rid you legs of the lactic acid. Take a short easy walk. By doing easy, light exercise you help your body to speed up the process of getting rid of the lactic acid. A massage 24-48 hours after the race will help speed the recovery also.
Get plenty of sleep. Your body is worn down. Give it time to recover. Help you immunity system regain its strength.
Keep hydrating and refueling. Lots of water. Replace the carbohydrates. It is also good to get some protein back in your body. If you are meat eater, that steak you have been passing over for pasta may help (especially if you are iron deficient). Just don’t forget the baked potato and bread.
Getting back to running.
How and when you get back to running is highly debated. It is one thing that only you can know when to get back out there. How many years you have been running, how hard you trained are but two of the factors that determine your return. There are many schools of thought on when to start running. The vary from doing a short run on marathon afternoon to not running for a week or more after the race. You just have to listen to your body and do what is right for you.
My suggestion. On about Tuesday or Wednesday, go out for a hard power walk. You muscles will be stiff. The lactic acid will still be there. By try it and see how you do. If you survive this, in a day or two, go for a 2-3 mile slow run. Then over the next two weeks, gradually bring you mileage back up to you normal mileage (pre marathon training buildup). At least initially, be sure to give yourself plenty of rest days. Work on just running. Speed will come back with time.
Mental Recovery.
You started out in the spring with a goal. You worked hard all summer and fall. You did it. You finished the marathon. The week after the marathon you are recovering and taking it easy. The second week you try to start running some. But it is dark outside. It has gotten colder. WAH….I don’t want to run.
So you are normal. After the race it is very common to lose some of your running motivation. It is hard to get back out there and keep running.
You did the marathon because you set a goal and you went about accomplishing that goal. To motivate yourself, you need to set another goal. Not another marathon in two weeks. You goal must be realistic. Pick a race 4-5 weeks after the marathon. A short race like a 5K or maybe a 10K. Sign up for the race (spending the money heightens the commitment). Think about what you need to do for that race. Once you get over the hurdle of getting back out and running, you are well on you way to becoming a life long runner.
Another way to keep motivated is to keep running with the friends you have made in the course of training. We will leave available the message board for a month or two after the race. Use it to connect with your friends and to find others to run with.
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