Yesssss! You did it! You finished a marathon! It’s an amazing accomplishment and you should be immensely proud. Now, you deserve to rest and recover, and of course celebrate! These post marathon recovery tips will help you feel better faster.
Cool Down and Stretch
When you cross the finish line you might be tempted to find a patch of grass and plop down. Resist that urge. Walk around for a bit to lower your heart rate and cool down. Often times you won’t have much choice, as there will be a long “finish corral” where they will want you to keep moving to let other runners come through.
After you’ve cooled down try to find somewhere to do some stretching. Stretch out any areas that seem tight (likely everything). Take your time and don’t rush off to any post run celebrating just yet. Once you arrive home or to your hotel do some foam rolling, massage, and even more stretching.
Replenish
Most races will have light snacks available at the finish. Fruit, peanut butter, crackers, bagels, etc. You may not feel like eating but try to take advantage of the offerings and get something down within 30 minutes of the finish. Make sure to drink water and if you can, take in electrolytes as well. I like to stash my recovery drink in my checked bag or with a trusted spectator.
Soak
You’ve probably heard many runners talk of the dreaded/anticipated ice bath. It’s a great idea after a marathon to calm inflammation and ease sore legs. If you can manage it definitely give it a try.
However, I prefer a warm epsom salt soak. There are a couple of reasons, the first being I am a big baby and don’t want to be cold. More practically, I find that it’s difficult to lug ice around to your hotel room and have it ready when you want it. You can pick up epsom salts at just about any grocery or drug store and have them waiting for you.
However it is you prefer, a nice soak in the tub can be very soothing.
Compression
Compression socks are your friend after a marathon. They can help to increase the blood flow to speed up recovery. I also like to lather up in some muscle rub before putting them on. If you’re able to bring them with you to the race, awesome! If you have to wait until you’re home or back to the hotel that’s fine too just wear them for a few hours while recovering to help ease soreness.
Rest
Perhaps most important after an endurance race is rest. Take a nap, spend the day lounging, whatever feels good. Don’t underestimate the fatigue that can set in for a few days following and be kind to yourself. Take some time off from running. Two weeks is pretty standard but some runners take as much as a month off. While you’re taking time off from running, don’t just sit on the couch though. Take some walks, do yoga, maybe some light cycling. Moving around will help to keep things loose for faster recovery.
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