Marathon Recovery Guide

I went out for a run this morning.  The first couple of miles were pretty good and then my legs started protesting!   My heart, lungs, and head were saying, "Go!  Run faster!  Come on!"  And my legs were saying, "Go on without me."

Since I plan on running when I'm an old lady, my objective is "Injury Free."  So as I alternated walking and running toward home, I tried to figure out if I was pushing it too soon post-marathon.  I went home and Googled "Post Marathon Training" and found a really helpful site by Hal Higdon that confirmed I was trying to do too much too soon.  You can read all about it here, but here are some highlights:

Generally, it takes a minimum of two to three weeks for the body to recover from the strain of running 26 miles 385 yards. Return too quickly and you increase your risk of injury. Some experts suggest resting one day for every mile you run in the marathon, thus 26 days of no hard running or racing! Others suggest one day for every kilometer, thus 42 days rest. Well, that might be waiting too long before resuming tough training. Often the determining factor is not how quickly your body recovers, but how quickly your mind recovers, since you temporarily will have lost your main training goal.

Wow!  26 days of no hard running.  I can't imagine.  I don't want to wait too long, but I also need to be patient and not go out too hard, too soon.

The difference between the mile and the marathon is the difference between burning your fingers with a match and being slowly roasted over hot coals. ~Hal Higdon

He gives a detailed plan for "Week Zero" - the week following a marathon.  I wish I would have had this last week!  The longest run last week should have been no more than 3 miles.   One week after the marathon, a 6 to 8 mile easy run would have been okay.

Now is the time to cross-train. Swim or bike if that is your pleasure, but it’s probably not a good idea to start some new exercise you haven’t been doing the previous 18 weeks. The best cross-training discipline for a recovering marathoner is simple walking. Don’t underestimate the value of this activity. Go at most 2-3 miles.

I admit, when I take walk breaks I feel disappointed in myself.  Why can't I run?  Where did the speed go?  I have definitely underestimated the value of walking.

This week is Post Marathon, Week 1.  The training plan for a Novice is what I need to follow.  Not because I am a novice runner, but I am definitely a novice marathoner!  It's a relief to know what I'm experiencing is normal and that I will be able to run fast again in the near future.

Here's an excellent tip from Week 2:

Once back with running, don't run too hard or too fast too soon. Dr. (Jack) Scaff recommends the 10 percent rule: No more than 10 percent of your total mileage can be spent in racing or speedwork. "After you've run a marathon, you need 260 miles of training before you enter your next event or start doing speedwork," he says. "For someone running 30 to 40 miles a week, that means six to eight weeks of recovery running. Someone used to higher mileage probably recovers sooner."