Post marathon recovery

Pandora_and_her_box
Pandora_and_her_box Posts: 240 Member
edited October 2015 in Fitness and Exercise
Morning, runners :)

So I did a marathon a few weeks ago (it'll be 3 on Sunday)...in no way did I expect to be feeling the effects still.

The day after, my hip flexor and quads were a little bit sore but I got over that within a couple of days, did loads of walking (I was on holiday), felt good and thought that was that. Almost three weeks on, I am so slow! I've eased back into exercise with a couple of 5k runs, but I am really slow and finding that my legs are aching more than usual after (gentle) runs, yoga, (light) weight training - everything except walking. I've done some reading and discovered it can take a month for your body to recover, but I just wondered what other people's post marathon recovery was like.

P



Replies

  • patrikc333
    patrikc333 Posts: 436 Member
    edited October 2015
    done 2 training ones in a month and the proper race on sunday and my experience so far is:

    - much harder to recover from the proper race, didn't feel the 42km done in training (I run everyday), no proper difference in pace/stamina/energy level during these training weeks

    - on Sunday after the marathon, feeling great, prob best in my life, could walk and was full of energy

    - done a recovery run on monday, 12km super easy turtle pace, and I couldn't move, aching everywhere, especially quads :smiley:

    - run 2 halves on tuesday and wednesday, tuesday was easier than wednesday, I did suffer yesterday a lot. pace was very slow on tuesday but + 1 sec/km from last weeks wednesday half, so improving, but had random feelings so really cannot find a proper "improvement pattern" for these 2 days

    - done a 10k this morning, feeling much better and pace was quite good even if I didn't properly push (I normally try to do speed work on my 10k days, but not this week)

    in conclusion: feeling awful first day, then getting better and better, pace improving slowly but constantly, energy levels going back to normal (so far! I might not be able to move tomorrow :smiley: )

    mentally, the first couple of days after the race I was not super focused, but I think it's normal, as it is normal to recover more slowly from a race than a training session
  • kristinegift
    kristinegift Posts: 2,406 Member
    edited October 2015
    My first marathon, I made the mistake of laying in bed the day after, so the stiffness lasted way longer than necessary. But for both my first and second marathons, I gave myself 2-3 days off running, and then worked my way back in with walk-run intervals for 2-3 mile runs. Plus, I was walking 2 miles a day to/from campus at my university, so that helped too. But it was slow going. After my second marathon, I went to get a sports massage (~48 hours after), and that helped a lot. I was still stiff, but my muscles didn't feel as fatigued anymore.

    But I think in both cases I was fine within 1.5-2 weeks. After my first marathon, I PR'd at a HM 2 weeks later. But after my second marathon, I went home and got all the sickness I hadn't succumbed to during training, and that took longer to recover from than the marathon itself!
  • Pandora_and_her_box
    Pandora_and_her_box Posts: 240 Member
    Thanks for the replies, I guess it just takes some time! So relieved to have skipped the sickness part. I kept convinicing myself for a few days after I was getting a cold but nothing materialised.
  • lporter229
    lporter229 Posts: 4,907 Member
    Marathon recovery is rough. That's why you don't run marathons when training for a marathon. Take your time and enjoy in your accomplishment. Allow your body to heal...it will get there. It usually takes me a week before I feel like running and then another two or three before I feel like I am back at full strength. Trying to rush it will only make it worse. And I second the suggestion of a sports massage. I ran a marathon on Sunday and got one on Monday. That was the first time I had one post marathon and it felt wonderful!
  • gdyment
    gdyment Posts: 299 Member
    3-4 weeks recovery if it's raced all out. I can move and jog but running is just lead-legged and flat.

    The sickest I've ever been in my life was 2-3 days after a full and I came down with strep. Even the doctor recoiled when he looked at my throat. After that sort of effort your immune system is suppressed for like 72 hours which is why you can get sick pretty easily.
  • Pandora_and_her_box
    Pandora_and_her_box Posts: 240 Member
    @lporter229 You're right, if I can't enjoy taking things a bit slower now, when can I? The temptation is to push through because I'm feeling impatient but the fear of injury and breaking myself is far too great.
    @gdyment lead-legged is exactly how I've felt on my last couple of runs!

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