You just ran 26.2 miles!

This is a major accomplishment whether it is your first time or your fifteenth. Your body has undergone major physical stressors not to mention mental stress. You’ve trained extremely hard, given up time with your loved ones and dedicated yourself to finishing.

So after you’ve crossed the finish line, completing your goal, what do you do now?

Do you have a beer and sit on the couch or is an ice bath the correct intervention to prevent injury? There is no right answer due to your individual makeup and training program, but there are some post-marathon strategies you can employ because recovery can be just as important.

Post-Marathon Recovery Tips

  • Walking or Keep Moving: Could this be why it takes 10 minutes to exit the NYC Marathon? At first, many people thought the long exit was to filter runners from the finish line but when you look again this could be a way to force a cool down. One strategy discussed post race is keeping your body moving to gradually lower your heart rate and allow your circulation to return to normal. This is also a way to help with lactic acid removal. If you immediately sit down your body can become stiff and sore more quickly as well as blood can pool in the extremities. When this happens you might feel lightheaded or dizzy. So staying active at the end of the race for 10 to 15 minutes is crucial for many reasons.
  • Post Race Refueling: Hopefully you have been keeping your fluids up throughout the race but no doubt you will need to replenish post-race. In order to maintain your blood sugar levels, you should reach for a snack of about 200-300 calories of easily digested carbs or proteins. Drinking plenty of water or sports drinks is also an essential part of refueling to replace fluid loss from sweating and to help replenish electrolytes. You can certainly have that large meal but maybe wait a few hours for your body to settle down.
  • Rest versus running: The majority of people will be sore and relatively quickly as the lactic acid builds. DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) will occur within 24-48 hours and will take its time to dissipate. Lactic acid is a protective mechanism to avoid injury from overuse. You should rest and let your body heal allowing the soreness to subside. Most protocols do not suggest running until day 3 or day 4 post marathon and at easy pace for 20 minutes at most. Rest is your best strategy for recovery here.
  • Stretch or massage: You have been told over and over again to stretch but in this case, you need to replenish the muscle first with fluid before you stretch. The muscles have just been pushed to the max and are depleted so if you stretch them there is a chance they could tear. You want to keep moving to maintain the circulation, at about two to six hours after the race you can begin to slowly stretch. Also, wait 24 hours before a massage to allow your body to reset, this will also optimally help reduce the lactic acid.

And lastly, but most importantly, be proud of your accomplishment!

SET Physical Therapy is committed to providing the highest quality physical therapy services by addressing the body as a whole in a one-on-one environment. If you have any questions about the best ways to prepare for and recover from a marathon or would like a consultation to help get you back to competing in one, please contact SetPT to learn more about how we can help.