Marathon Recovery

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Question:

Was it your first marathon? I agree with the other posters that you shouldn’t take things too fast. But I promise that you’ll be back on top after a few weeks – and you’ll be better than ever when you run your next marathon. Jonathan

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I ran a marathon on 10/21 (Humboldt-Redwoods). I took the week (7 days) after completely off. The following week I eased back into running. I felt as if I had strapped on running shoes for the first time. My HR for a given pace was 10-15 beats higher than normal. I struggled and cut my run short. I scaled back my aspiratations and have limited my runs to twice a week/low mile/easy pace since, figuring I needed more recovery time. Today’s run was no different. I don’t seem to be getting back on track. I’m starting to think maybe something’s wrong. Am I just being impatient? Has anyone else taken a long time to recover from a race?

Response:

I think you are going from one extreme to another. First off your heart rate will soar your first run after a marathon. It is part of the recovery process and should be expected. You may have done a bit of diservice by reducing your running so severly. I’m guessing that you were running 5 times a week before the marathon. By cutting back so much you may have set your fitness back quite a bit. 3 weeks is enough time for your to start feeling like your old self again. I’ll say that you’ll get back some time this coming week. You should keep up frequency following a marathon. Expect to run slower than you were able to before the marathon. In fact you may want to leave the HRM at home and just run how you feel. Cut the distance of your typical run to 30-40 minutes. Running will help circulate blood through your legs and progress the recovery process. Recovery doesn’t mean stopping, just allowing legs to repair damage done by running 26.2 miles. If this keeps up for the following week there may be something up with your health. Andy – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I ran a marathon on 10/21 (Humboldt-Redwoods). I took the week (7 days) after completely off. The following week I eased back into running. I felt as if I had strapped on running shoes for the first time. My HR for a given pace was 10-15 beats higher than normal. I struggled and cut my run short. I scaled back my aspiratations and have limited my runs to twice a week/low mile/easy pace since, figuring I needed more recovery time. Today’s run was no different. I don’t seem to be getting back on track. I’m starting to think maybe something’s wrong. Am I just being impatient? Has anyone else taken a long time to recover from a race?

Response:

Thanks to everyone for the feedback. My swimming is back on track, so I’m optimistic. I’m vegetarian with borderline ferratin levels on my last blood test (a month ago). I’ve been supplementing iron since, but thought maybe I’d crossed the line into anemia. A couple of strong swims have convinced me otherwise. My joints feel great, but my hamstrings become quickly fatigued whenever I run or cycle. My resting heart rate is starting to return to pre-marathon levels so I think I’m going to be ok. If I don’t bounce back on my runs in the next week or two I’ll at least get some blood work done. I feel no signs of illness, but I did get a flu shot the week after the marathon. Thanks again, Jeff

Response:

I think you are going from one extreme to another. First off your heart rate will soar your first run after a marathon. It is part of the recovery process and should be expected.

Andy, I noticed that heart rate thing (not with a monitor, just the feeling). During what I felt was a very slow pace, my breathing was labored and my heart was pounding. The second run was much better. It’s nice to know that it is normal. Can you help me udnerstand it? Leo

Response:

Start back slow. Do a reverse taper, but maybe a little faster. For me it takes about 10 days but everyone is different. — Dia ’s Muire duit Joseph E. Meehan

Response:

Only you will know how long a recovery is necessary. I had read that 4-6 weeks was wise for post-marathon. The friday after my race i went out for a run. the following week i alternated days, going for short (about 20 min.) runs at a very easy pace. The following week, i started lengthening to 30-40 minutes and i squeezed in a "long run" of about 50 min. that weekend. i’ve been running my 5 day week again, with some mild speedwork (strides) to prep for a 10K race tomorrow. I’ve felt good the whole time, with only a hint of knee achiness, but correcting my form fixes that every time. Since *my* marathon, I’ve found that i’ve sort of "lost" my natural good form. I guess the ol’ bod took a bit of a beating :-) but with time, I’ll get it back. You have to do what feels ok with you…. go easy until it simply feels TOO easy, then increase the distance or intensity. work up from there. Best of luck with the knees… I sympathize. Cam – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I ran a marathon on 10/21 (Humboldt-Redwoods). I took the week (7 days) after completely off. The following week I eased back into running. I felt as if I had strapped on running shoes for the first time. My HR for a given pace was 10-15 beats higher than normal. I struggled and cut my run short. I scaled back my aspiratations and have limited my runs to twice a week/low mile/easy pace since, figuring I needed more recovery time. Today’s run was no different. I don’t seem to be getting back on track. I’m starting to think maybe something’s wrong. Am I just being impatient? Has anyone else taken a long time to recover from a race?

Response:

I ran a marathon on 10/21 (Humboldt-Redwoods). I took the week (7 days) after completely off. The following week I eased back into running. I felt as if I had strapped on running shoes for the first time. My HR for a given pace was 10-15 beats higher than normal. I struggled and cut my run short. I scaled back my aspiratations and have limited my runs to twice a week/low mile/easy pace since, figuring I needed more recovery time. Today’s run was no different. I don’t seem to be getting back on track. I’m starting to think maybe something’s wrong. Am I just being impatient? Has anyone else taken a long time to recover from a race?

Response:

I ran the Honolulu Marathon yesterday. It was my first, and did better than I expected finishing in 3:01. The thing is today I can hardly walk. The lateral aspect of my foot hurts, and my quads are killing me. Aside from anti inflammatory’s and Ice what can I do. And when should I run again? Thanks…

Check out: The Week Before/The Month After. http://www.mindfulness.com/mind/om7.html Congratulations on your Honolulu. I’ve done it three times in the past, the first being 1976. My cloth stenciled bib number "189" decorates my wall on my stairwell. Like the Avenue of the Giants, I’ve considered the Honolulu as having a spiritual quality – in the footsteps of the King’s runners. — In health and on the run, Ozzie Gontang Maintainer – rec.running FAQ Director, San Diego Marathon Clinic, est. 1975 (Mindful Running) http://www.mindfulness.com

Response:

I was listening to a sports doctor on talkback the other day and learned something which surprised me. Anti inflammatory’s are a no no for muscle injuries or pain and actually increase the healing time by up to double. Use ice and gentle massage. Dont run but take a couple of days off then do some easy swimming or aquajogging and cycling. Hey! 3:01 in your first marathon. Great run! Graham from down under. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I ran the Honolulu Marathon yesterday. It was my first, and did better than I expected finishing in 3:01. The thing is today I can hardly walk. The lateral aspect of my foot hurts, and my quads are killing me. Aside from anti inflammatory’s and Ice what can I do. And when should I run again? Thanks…

Response:

I ran my first marathon on October 23 – the Mohawk Hudson River Marathon Schenectedy to Albany, NY. For the first few days afterwards, I was sore and stiff – as expected. But what I did not expect was that I would feel so tired for so long. Even short runs seem difficult and I’m just easily fatigued in general. Is this normal post-marathon effects or is something else going on? Andrea Wadell

Response:

Yes, that is _quite_ normal. Rule of thumb is 1 day of rest for each mile raced. You should take 1 week off after the marathon and then ONLY do easy runs for the next 2-3 weeks. —

Response:

: feel so tired for so long. Even short runs seem difficult and I’m just : easily fatigued in general. Is this normal post-marathon effects or : is something else going on? Well, it seems to have something to do with the toughness of your run. I remember once that I _had_ to go to take a few 10 km runs just couple days after the marathon. In that case I had run the marathon at a very comfortable pace. But things may go otherwise: I just ran a 30 km race (a fast one) a couple weeks ago, went to play floorball the next day and two days later ran a fast 15 km run. Well, the 15 km was too much for me and I started feeling very ill, even if I didn’t have any fever. And after that I haven’t enjoyed running at all. A complete burn-out. Your case sounds quite similar. Maybe the marathon ate more of your resources (physical) than you’ve thought and you simply hadn’t recovered well before starting running again. — Student at the Helsinki School of Economics and Business Administration, FINLAND " So you think you are strong because you can survive the soft cushions. Well, we shall see. Biggles! Put her in the Comfy Chair!"

Response:

If it hurts only when you run, that’s bad… where does the pain feel like it’s coming from (e.g. lateral side of knee, under kneecap, etc)? – Bret Jensen

Response:

What kind of recovery time is necessary from running a marathon? I am forty years old. How long should I wait before I try to run again? I had been thinking about waiting another two weeks. What do you folks think? Anyone had any problems like this? gil *wants to run* gilliland

I found it took a month to recover. (An old rule of thumb is one day of recovery for every mile of the race.)

Response:

The majority of the time what you are experiencing is the overuse of the quads which now are still strong but have tightened up/shortened/contracted to protect themselves. If you’ll lay on a rolling pin across the quads with most of the body weight on your forearms and knees, and slowly roll with the weight of your body increasing on the rolling pin as much as you can bear without pain…only the feeling of being on the edge of that pain, you can roll out the quads. You’ll feel the difference almost immediately as the quads release and take the pressure on the tendon and/or insertion point. During my runs I’ll stop and lay on a curb with the quad on the edge of the curb and roll back and forth over the quad to loosen it and then I’m back on my way. Sometimes after a marathon recovery run, I’d do 5 or 6 curb rolls to keep working on loosening the quads. In health and on the run, Ozzie I ran the Atlanta Marathon on Thanksgiving day(3:55 time)and ended up with two very sore and painful knees. My muscles were not sore a bit, just the knees. They hurt for about a week and a half. I ran yesterday for the first time, very slow, 10 min per mile pace or so and at mile 3 one of the knees began to hurt very badly again. Had to walk the last mile home. Walking does not hurt, just running. What kind of recovery time is necessary from running a marathon? I am forty years old. How long should I wait before I try to run again? I had been thinking about waiting another two weeks. What do you folks think? Anyone had any problems like this? gil *wants to run* gilliland

– In health and on the run, Ozzie Gontang Maintainer-rec.running FAQ Director, San Diego Marathon Clinic, est. 1975

Response:

I believe the above guideline is called Foster’s Rule and it has served me well in recovering after marathons. I run but I do no speed work or long runs for 26+ days after the marathon. — Brad DeLay

Response:

Yeah, but I bet you didn’t wait a month before running! I think the rule of thumb has to do with running at race pace. You should be able to jog a couple of miles two days after a marathon unless you injured yourself during the run. — (602) 861-7609; Phoenix, Arizona

Response:

I ran the Atlanta Marathon on Thanksgiving day(3:55 time)and ended up with two very sore and painful knees. My muscles were not sore a bit, just the knees. They hurt for about a week and a half. I ran yesterday for the first time, very slow, 10 min per mile pace or so and at mile 3 one of the knees began to hurt very badly again. Had to walk the last mile home. Walking does not hurt, just running. What kind of recovery time is necessary from running a marathon? I am forty years old. How long should I wait before I try to run again? I had been thinking about waiting another two weeks. What do you folks think? Anyone had any problems like this? gil *wants to run* gilliland

Response:

Usually people that start having knee soreness are having stability problems. You might want to try using a good knee support. I hope this helps. Russell Wonderly Kern Surgical Supply Orthopedic Supplies Wholesale to the Public http://www.kernsurgical.com

Response:

I say that it is person-dependent. I aim for 1 day of recovery for every mile raced: So I wait almost a month after a marathon before any "hard" runs. In the mean time, walk, jog perhaps swim or ride a bike. But STAY ACTIVE so that you do not lose a lot of fitness.

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