I ran a marathon. Now what?

The fall marathon season is almost over and many of you are probably wondering, what do I do now? You dedicate so much time and energy into that one day and when it's over, it's hard to not feel as if something is missing from your schedule. We've been there too. We've felt restless, lazy and directionless. I know, it sounds dramatic, but recognizing how you feel will help you recover. It's essential that you give yourself and your body adequate time to recover after a marathon. One easy rule of thumb is one day of rest for every mile you ran, so 26 days rest days. This doesn't mean you don't do anything, it means that you give yourself a break from any intense workouts for 26 days (think speed work or races).

We break it down into 4 weeks. The first week, no running. This doesn't mean become a couch potato. Instead, exercise but keep the intensity at an easy level. We enjoy yoga, walking, a bike ride, an easy spin class and active recovery classes.  The second week, do a 3-4 mile run on the weekend and continue with yoga, Pilates or a moderately intense spin class during the week. The third week, add in some running, but keep it to a conversational pace. Run 4-6 miles on the weekend. The fourth week, run 2-3xat a conversational pace and then add in some intensity during the weekend run. If you feel good during that run, you are recovered and can start planning your next race. If your heart rate is high and you are out of breath, take a few more days.  Recovery is a vital part of training and, if done correctly, will help you come back as stronger or stronger than your previous performance.

Recovery Tools

We are dedicating the month of April to recovery and to kick it off we are sharing our favorite recovery tools.

1 - The Stick - hurts so good. Great travel companion for long distance races.

2 - Trigger Point Foam Roller - the grids add a new dimension to foam rolling. Your IT band will never be the same again!

3 - MELT balls - we discovered the MELT Method thanks to Zoe of The Thriving Body in 2010. It's helped our feet and legs recovery quickly and ward off injury.

4 - Trigger Point rollers - deeper and more precise than the foam roller. The kit comes with a guidebook designed specifically for runners.

5 - Exercise bands - these guys help us keep our muscles strong and flexible. We use them for ankle, achilles and calf strength.

What's your favorite recovery tool? We love hearing suggestions from runners and active people!

Marathon Recovery

By Maren Elliott

We've asked Maren Elliott to follow-up her inspiration post last week, The Final Miles, with a little insight into the recovery during the weeks after those final miles.  

The morning after finishing a marathon I wake up depressed – without fail.  It always seems so silly; I’ve accomplished something great so I should be elated.  Not to mention I’m free of long training runs, foam-rolling sessions, and painful massages.  But somehow the extra time and less regulated schedule doesn’t bring the relief I always anticipate.  I’m antsy, feel out of shape, and generally pretty grumpy.  The emotional recovery from a marathon is typically the hardest for me, but there is also the physical recovery.

Depending on the marathon I may be unable to walk or take stairs without grasping a hand-railing for fear that my legs will buckle and quit working.  Then there are those inexplicable marathons when I feel great the next day, like I could go for a run (and I usually desperately want to).  It can be hard to know exactly how to approach the recovery period especially when you feel out of sync physically and emotionally.

The general rule of thumb is to give yourself as many days to recover as miles you ran.  So for a marathon, you’d take 26 days for recovery.  There have been times when my legs needed twice that before I could even think about lacing up running shoes again.  And there have been times when I’m ready to run a week later.  In both cases the important thing to remember is to listen to your body and not force anything – it is different for everyone.

Taking walks and doing an easy bike ride in the first days after the marathon helps relieve the soreness a bit, and can provide some of the mental release I need in the absence of running.  Regardless of how long it takes, I constantly remind myself to “be nice to myself” during the awkward transition weeks after the marathon.  This sounds easy enough but can be hard when things feel off balance.  If you give yourself the time you need to recover and heal, the first run back will bring the endorphin rush you crave and all will feel right again.

7 Reasons Why Massage is Great for Runners

We asked one of our favorite Brooklyn massage therapists (who has helped us recover from many a long run) to discuss the merits of massage and why it's great for runners. 

by Jennifer Mayer, LMT

PREVENT: Massage can help prevent injuries by increasing fluidity in tissues, increase range of motion and increase flexibility. Additionally, massage is an excellent way to gain valuable information about the condition of your muscles and work out any potential areas of tightness that could lead to an injury.

STRETCH: Stretching improves range of motion, muscle flexibility and prevents injury. All three are important factors to keep you running healthy and injury free.

FLUSH: Running produces lactic acid, a metabolic waste product the gets stuck in the muscles. Lactic acid causes pain and discomfort by irritating the nerves in the muscle tissue. Massage flushes lactic acid out of the muscles, enabling you to recover quicker, with less pain and discomfort from workouts.

EASE: Massage helps the body move freely and with more ease. When muscle repairs itself after exercise and strength building, the muscle fibers are misaligned. Massage helps realign these fibers.

HEAL: By increasing blood flow, massage helps injuries recover faster by bringing essential nutrients and tissue repairing cells to the injury site. This increased flow also removes wastes created by the injury quicker, further supporting the healing process.

SUPPORT: Massage with an emphasis on structural alignment helps runners keep good posture and structural integrity by releasing tightness throughout the body. Releasing tight feet can do wonders for your gate and low back or hip pain.

DOWN TIME: Rest is an important aspect of any training regime. Massage encourages time for rejuvenation to restore your reserves.

Jennifer Mayer is a licensed massage therapist practicing in Brooklyn, NY. Over the past 8 years as an LMT Jennifer has had the pleasure to work with athletes from all backgrounds. From eager rock climbing kids, to professional cyclo-cross racers to individuals training for 10ks and triathlons to Olympic runners. Jennifer also specializes in prenatal and postpartum massage. You can visit her website www.mamamoonnyc.com for more information.

Update on 2013-04-02 15:48 by Hot Bird Running

As we focus on recovery this April, Jen Mayer's advice is just as practical and needed! Reward yourself post race with a relaxing, soothing, vital massage.