I have talked so much about everything that goes into preparing for the race and actually competing (ok, so maybe if you’re like me, it’s more of participating) that I think it’s time to talk about post-race recovery. After all, both first-timers and experienced athletes have to deal with the fallout of their ‘big day’!
And believe me, I may not have raced that terribly many races (five marathons and one ironman 70.3 doesn’t feel like so so so much), but I feel like I managed to do all the right and all the wrong things by now. So I hope you enjoy this post, peppered with anecdotes of my stupid moments 😅.
Start your post-race recovery before the race
Last time, I wrote about pre-race logistics and believe it or not, it plays a large role in your post-race recovery. If you made sure to carb load properly beforehand and refuel during the race, you will be less ‘dead on arrival’ at the finish line.
Another item: sunscreen. If you’re racing on a sunny day, wear sun screen. You may think it’s not a big deal, but remember that not only you will be running for over 2 hours (for me, more like 4+), there is also time before you actually start running and whatever happens after. Sun burns definitely won’t help you bounce back. Keep in mind that they can also lead to further dehydration and such. So lather up!
And band-aids, trimmed nails and so on – any injury you acquire during the race becomes part of your post-race recovery. Bloody nipples aren’t sexy, gentlemen!
Body
Immediately after
Keep moving
Don’t sit down yet! The consensus is that going from long workout and coming to a sudden dead stop can lead to cramps and built-up of lactic acid. Moving for another 15 minutes helps keep the blood flowing and slows down your cool-down. I know that all you want to do is sit down. Or preferably lay down. Unfortunately, that’s the exactly wrong thing to do.
Stretch
I know you want to just relax, but some STATIC stretches will help you keep the blood flowing and avoid tightness that can prevent you from moving again. I frequently struggle with this part, but I know that I feel way better after long workouts if I do stretch. Make it short and gentle though. You already put your body through enough!
Clothes
Get a space blanket or additional clothes from your buddy working as your SAG for the day (personal sherpas are so helpful in endurance racing!). Your body is out of whack and in a couple of minutes, when the adrenaline wears of and your heart rate starts slowing down, you will get cold. Let’s not forget the good chance that you are soaked after all that running. Changing in dry clothes immediately works, too. Keep in mind: your body’s immunity drops after long, intense exercise sessions. You are now susceptible to other people’s ‘cooties’. Prevent getting sick on top of being run-of-a-mill tired and sore.
Food and hydration
Eat something. This may not be your first thought right after finishing a race, but you have depleted your glycogen stores and you need to start replenishing them as soon as possible. I tend not to feel hungry right after races and many people have stomach problems. In that case, a sports drink can work, too. You need electrolytes and water, too. When it comes to drinking though, make sure you are not overdoing it with plain water – you don’t want to risk hyponatremia. After Disney marathon (one of my stories of logistics fails), I didn’t see anything appealing in the goodie bag and my trek back to the hotel took forever. Result: at some point, I sat down and couldn’t move. My body literally had nothing left to propel me forward. I don’t recommend that feeling.
Later in the day
Oh, all the ways you can mess this one up!
Nap
Take a nap. Naps are good and you just put your body through hell. Some nice, regenerating sleep will help you. There is a chance that your body is demanding it anyway and you won’t be able to avoid it. Good!
Massage
Some rolling, stretching and a massage may sound like a great idea. Some races even have massages available. It can be awesome, but make sure massages are not deep tissue. Your muscle is already sufficiently broken down. They need to heal, not be tortured some more.
Shower and bath
I don’t think anybody has to be encouraged to shower after running for over 26 miles… Please do it ASAP. All that sweat can irritate skin and cause you to break out. I also tend to be covered by salt after long workouts. Gross… Also: awful for skin…
Bath may not sound ideal immediately after the race. However, once you shower and are not grossed out by perspective of sitting in water, ice bath will help with cooling down your muscle and jump start recovery. I do it regularly after long runs on hot days and it’s a total life saver!
Sitting and relaxing
Try not to sit too much. Sounds horrible, right? I talked to some friends and they experienced the same thing after the big race: getting mad at their sports watch later in the day when it tells them to move. Unfortunately, the watch is right. You should move. Sitting too much will make your muscle tighten and you will feel more sore. I actually have an embarrassing story to go with this one… I decided to go home immediately after Philadelphia marathon and a friend of mine was driving. Once I was done running, I took the picture on the stairs (like half the people there 😅), had my beer and hot dog and we got in the car. At some point between PA and northern VA we had to stop so I could eat (yeah, my first real meal after the run) and I kind of slipped out of the car. Like in: my legs were incapable of holding me up. Walking to the food place didn’t really go well, either… So don’t be like me, move around throughout the afternoon!
Food and drink
You need to eat and drink again. And again. And beer is not exactly the best choice (see my post about alcohol here – as I feel like this is the most self-promoting post ever). You shouldn’t eat all the ~2600 calories you burned in one sitting. It’s better to split it up into smaller meals. But you sure should work on replenishing your glycogen stores, so carbs. Don’t forget the protein, either. My family considers it customary to have steak/bbq and beer if such option is available. It’s not exactly what you should be doing, but it tastes soooo good! The above pic is of my in a bbq joint at Disney Springs after WDW marathon. Everything about that meal was AWESOME!
Next few days
Give yourself some time off. If you think your body is ready to resume training – wait another day or two. Your body will lie to you and tell you to go for a run. I have done that before and it turned out very quickly that I was overly optimistic. I felt like crap by the end of the block. Don’t do that. Learn on my mistakes and wait a few more days, just to be sure.
Generally, you should resume your training slowly, once you rested up for a few days. Frequently given advice on this issue is to do your taper backwards. Just keep in mind: if you are trying to exercise again and things don’t feel right, it means you are not ready. Stick to some cross training, like swimming and gentle cycling.
Mind
This is not addressed enough! Do you really think that your mind didn’t work overtime when you were training and racing?
I regularly hear from first-time endurance athletes (and sometimes non-first timers, too 😉) that they are so over their training routine and just want it to be over. I’ve been there, too! Ok, to be honest, I am over this whole ironman training thing – I was supposed to be doing that race last year and adding another year sucks. I want to cross that finish line and stop putting crazy hours into my attempts at training!
Have other aspects of your life suffered due to high volume of training? Relationship with your significant other, kids, other family members and friends? It happens, especially if they don’t share your athletic passion.
Good news: your race is done and at least for a few weeks, your training volume will be much lower. Take advantage! Reconnect with your family and friends. Spend some time on thinking about your other hobbies. It may be hard at first, but over time, you will adjust. There is a good chance that you will spend the first few weeks on trying to tell everybody who’ll listen (and some who really don’t want to, but lack clear escape route) about your athletic achievement. Try not to make them want to kill you…
Hopefully after a few weeks of recovery, you will want to get back to running. And if not? I wish you best of luck and hope you will find a new athletic pursuit. You may not be into running another marathon or competing into a triathlon, but don’t quit cold turkey. Stay active! But most importantly: enjoy, you did it!
Quick goodbye story on recovery done right: I once ran a Sunday marathon and was back in the office on Tuesday, giving a presentation on some HR-related matter. At some point, a coworker said to the group ‘well, if you ran a marathon over the weekend, you’d be dead now’. I looked her in the eye and asked ‘Do I look dead?’ It took her a couple of minutes to realize that new medal on my wall was from two days earlier 😁.