Advice
The marathon is a gruelling test of endurance and fitness, and should be treated with the respect it deserves. More often than not, runners who neglect the below points and jump back into hard running or racing too soon after the marathon will find that either their performance stagnates or they suffer with overtraining syndrome or injury.
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1. Refuel
Recovery starts as you cross the line. Refuel immediately with an energy bar or recovery drink while your body is eager to absorb energy. Often you don't feel like eating straight away so when you feel up to it, eat easily digestible carbs to help replenish muscle glycogen and repair muscle tissue (think bananas, energy bars etc).
After a marathon, the immune system is severely compromised, which increases the risk of contracting colds and the flu. Sports medicine journals indicate that the immune system is compromised up to three days after a marathon, meaning it is critical that you rest as much as possible in the three days following the race and eat healthy and nutrient-rich foods.
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2. Don't skip your warm-down
Keep walking after the race and resist the urge to drop to your knees. Continuing to move can gradually lower your heart rate and flush lactic acid from aching muscles. Walk the long way back to your car or hotel. Once you get back, compression socks or tights are a great way of decreasing inflammation in your legs. No matter the distance, compression socks are my go-to.
3. Schedule a massage 24 to 48 hours after the race
Allow your body to recover naturally post-race to give it the opportunity to replenish fluid and energy lost. If you can't get a massage, consider stretching or foam rolling to help speed up your recovery. However, bear in mind that even though muscle aches may subside, studies from the Journal Of Neurological Sciences suggested that inflammation and muscle fibre necrosis significantly impaired muscle power and durability in the calf muscle for up to 14 days after a marathon.
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4. Have a recovery plan
You wouldn't run a marathon without a plan, and the same can be said for the weeks following the event. I am a believer in the one-mile-a-day recovery, meaning it can take up to 26 days to recover following a marathon. This doesn't mean you can't train, but keep the intensity low and supplement running with cross-training.
As a guide, I would never run in the week following a marathon. Post-marathon cellular damage, which includes oxidative damage, increased production of creatinine kinase (CK) – a marker that indicates damage to skeletal and myocardial tissue – and increased myoglobin levels in the bloodstream have all been shown to stay in the body more than seven days, meaning you should take a minimum of a week to allow recovery before starting to run again and adding cross-training.
In the second week introduce easy four- to five-mile jogs alternating with light cross-training sessions for active recovery. Try swimming or cycling to use different muscle groups.
5. Take a mental and physical break
Enjoy the moment and sense of achievement. Often you feel ready to get back in the saddle – but the mental aspect of marathon running also needs to be taken into account. World record holder Paula Radcliffe once said, “I take a month off to recover, do yoga and cross-train.” Wise words!
If the London Marathon has inspired you to take on a challenge of your own, the Great Run's 10K training plan will get you ready for the next big event in London: the Great Newham London Run, on 17th July, finishing inside the former Olympic Stadium. Sign up for the Great Newham London Run.
This content is from the experts at Men's Fitness magazine.
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