On The Road To Recovery
Recovery after what? An injury or a long run such as a marathon? This year has been a challenge for me to train whilst experiencing foot discomfort for several reasons so I am taking this opportunity to look at recovery and what we should or should not be looking out for.
Everyone trains, runs and recovers at different speeds. Have you over done it? Do you need more rest? How much training have you done? Can your body cope? These are questions we ask ourselves after a challenging run or when we are injured.
For the purposes of this article, I am focussing on recovery tips after running a marathon (or two). Your body has taken a battering and needs to mend itself as well as your mind – prioritize on sleep and nutrition, especially in the early days. There is no one size fits all plan, your body will let you know what it needs but don’t be put off if a month later you are still tired and fatigued. This year it has taken me longer to recover and bouncing back has been virtually non-existent but did I do the right thing? Have I rested enough? Have I got my priorities right?
It took me a good month to recover from Eryri both mentally and physically especially as I had done a trail marathon the month previously and suffered considerably with foot pain. Coping with ongoing pain also requires extra recovery time and less mileage but I was in denial and didn’t want to slow down. The frustrations are huge and the FOMO even bigger but who will suffer in the end? Only me so it’s best to take it easy and listen to my own advice and take things very slowly. So, my mantra has been “focus on recovery” and not comparing myself or stalking everyone’s runs on Strava. Better to be frustrated at not running that extra mile than being in pain and not running for another week. Forget the speed training for a while, it’s all about just getting out for a run with no pressure or expectations. Chatty runs rather than miles for necessity.
Fatigue can last longer than you think. Even when you think you have recovered if your high heart rate is high or your breathing laboured then you know you still need more time. After running a marathon our immune system is compromised, and we can be prone to illness and these are all signs you are still fatigued. A little niggle here and a little niggle there can build up so don’t ignore things.
Easier said than done but immediately after the race take 3-7 days off from running completely. So hard to do in reality, but oh so necessary. Sleep, eat and begin an active recovery programme by walking, swimming, yoga, stretching. You can still be active but go gently and spend time catching up on all the things you had to miss whilst training. I am sure there are a lot of missed catch up coffee dates, books not read, etc.
Patience pays off – complete recovery may take 4-6 weeks or longer depending on your circumstances. Patience is not something I have in abundance, so it has been hard to step back, however small frequent runs are building me back up for which I am very grateful. My love for running is coming back, and I am enjoying supporting others in their journey.
Don’t be despondent – if you have an injury which is taking time to heal then go slow and stick with the prescribed exercises and you will soon be back doing what you love.