Big races take A LOT out of us. “Big” is relative to each athlete but essentially it’s any distance of race that you have trained long and hard for and that is going to require solid time off to recover properly. This could mean a half marathon, an Ironman or a 100 mile race. The amount of recovery time will vary (see chart below) but the principles remain the same.
What’s most important is that you recognize that you do need a break and that you can pay attention to the signs your body is giving you.
Did you know that one of the most common times for a distance athlete to get injured or experience burn-out is right after a big race? Oftentimes runners head into a new training block too quickly after a big race and end up taking 2 steps backwards. I go through the red flags and green lights of proper race recovery and rebuild to help you stay on track in a smart and safe way . I take you through a basic proper post race recovery plan- from what to do right after you cross the finish line to when you should start training again.
Immediately After Your Race
☑️Within 30 minutes- get in a quality recover snack with carbs and protein. This is big. I personally have about a 45 minute window after a marathon and if I don’t eat quickly I will be sick the rest of the day. I’ve learned this lesson the hard way more than once.
☑️TAKEAWAY- learn how your body responds after big raceand take care of business.
☑️Within 1-2 hours- Eat a full balanced meal and make sure you are sipping water and electrolytes throughout the rest of the day.
☑️Movement- an easy short walk on race day helps tremendously with soreness the following day. Walk to dinner, walk around the block. Do a little something.
The Next 48 Hours
☑️ Hydrate, eat and sleep WITH PURPOSE. Feel free to treat yo self but also be sure to eat quality nutrition that will heal your body. Even if you can’t sleep, at least rest.
☑️Active recovery
☑️IMPORTANT- No more sore muscles DOES NOT mean that you are fully recovered. Really common mistake here with runners. Just because your muscles are no longer sore does not mean that you are recovered. You’ve also got lots going on inside your body. Your adrenals, mind and energy systems are going to need more than a few days after a big race.
Long term Recovery
☑️10 days to 2 weeks OFF from running. Longer if needed. Unpopular opinion here but I stand behind it it. My athletes who follow this advice will tell you it pays off big time. You can do easy active recovery such as swim, yoga, bike, etc. but please be ok with running breaks. You won’t loose much fitness and what you gain in recovery is 10 times more important.
HOW TO RE-BUILD
☑️Start small- your first run back should be around 30 minutes. Potentially run/walk intervals depending on the athlete. IF your run goes great and you feel good the next day and aren’t sore, this is your first green light to move forward with running.
☑️ What’s Next? Stay in base building mode for a few weeks. If you are still feeling strong and there no red flags, you can proceed into a new training plan
☑️ Cross training encouraged
Last, stay on base mode as long as you want to . You don’t have to head straight into a training block. You don’t have to have a race on the calendar to be an awesome fierce runner.
