BY We’ve been there: We write a bucket list and one of the entries happen to be, “Run a marathon.” Your hard work pays off; as you run off into the sunrise, you feel glorious. You feel like nothing else would ever bring you down. And then the pain sets in.
Take care of yourself. Finishing the marathon is great, but the after-recovery is important as well.
Eat Slow, Eat Calm, Eat Collectedly
After the marathon, you need a recovery meal, but that doesn’t mean you should go out and binge on the steak you’ve been eyeing on immediately. Get a meal that you can digest easily, liquefied and smooth down the gullet.
One suggestion would be to pre-mix a protein shake and slowly glug it down after an exhausting race. You can probably indulge in snack food, but remember that the most important thing is to rebuild your strength slowly. Don’t force yourself to chow down on yummy snack food.
Bonus if you get something with chocolate or cacao to help sweeten the deal.
Get Yourself Clean
When you get home, everything is hell on earth. You smell, you ache, you are greasy in places you have never thought produced grease. One barefoot step into the house means a world of hurt, you’re just so dusty the grime has now become part of your skin.
What’s a great way to resolve this? A shower. You can get yourself clean and smell way better. The shower can help cool yourself down.
The first shower would also highlight problem areas in your body where you may have injured yourself during the run, so that you can apply gels or creams to relieve the pain.
Stay Active
All you want to do is collapse on the floor and become a pancake after a big marathon. Everyone will be concerned, but that’s okay. The cat may be slowly trying to plot on eating your body when you die, but that’s cool. You just want to lie down and not do anything.
That’s an okay plan, but you can’t stay down forever. The best way to recover is to slow down, not stop completely. Staying active is key.
We’re not suggesting you party the night away after a marathon, but consider taking a few days rest from running while still keeping yourself moving. The best suggestion? Swimming for low-impact sport, as it helps keep your whole body toned and moving while having less impact on the whole.
Another sport you can take up? Yoga or pilates. These workouts are slow, calm, peaceful and non-harsh on the joints.
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