Your main running objective has just been completed? Congratulations on what you have achieved, whether you met your goal or not. In both cases, you need to recover before moving on to your next goal. Let’s look at how to recover properly after a race together.
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Recovering well right after the race
When you have just finished your race, it is recommended to hydrate well because it is not uncommon to be slightly dehydrated upon arrival. You can choose to drink mineral water, possibly sparkling, herbal tea, or a post-workout drink.
Also take advantage of the metabolic window to eat proteins and carbohydrates: dried fruits, bananas, nuts, ham, cheese, gingerbread, or others. This way, you provide nutrients that are useful for recovery.
Within 30 minutes after your effort, you can walk a bit, or even jog for 5 to 15 minutes, similar to your cool-down sessions during training. However, do not stretch as your muscles have already been well stressed. If you really want to stretch, do not overdo it.
Recovering well for the rest of the day
If you feel tired, do not hesitate to take a nap after your race or relax. Keep drinking regularly. Just like for recovery after intense sessions, you can put on compression socks to recover or massage yourself.
Recovering in the days after the race
Recovering after a 5km or 10km race
In general, this kind of race does not leave too much muscle soreness (unless it was your first one). The next day or the day after, you can then run in fundamental endurance for 30 to 50 minutes, or even go cycling. The goal is to enhance blood flow to the legs to aid recovery.
You could potentially move quickly to a new preparation, but we recommend taking 4-5 calm days, with a bit of rest and possibly one or two slow runs. It is also an opportunity to assess, before moving on to your next goal and a new training plan.
Recovering after a half marathon
The half marathon (road or trail) is quite demanding. When doing your first half marathon, it is common to have fairly intense muscle soreness. If that’s the case, start with a bit of cycling or walking in the following days. You can resume slow runs 5 or 7 days after your race. Do not start back too quickly with intense sessions.
If this half marathon is an intermediary race in preparation for a marathon for example, you can simply have 2-3 lighter days with fundamental endurance in the days following your half marathon.
Recovering after a marathon or long effort such as ultra trail
When you have properly prepared for your race and it goes well on race day, your body may want to continue in the same vein. This is a trap. Pushing too hard after a long effort causes long-term fatigue, with a rebound effect after 3-4 weeks.
So take at least 6 to 10 days off from running, with the possibility of a few bike rides or hikes. Resume when you feel like it. Then restart with slow runs, in fundamental endurance.
Find here our dedicated article on recovery after a marathon or long effort.
Giving yourself every chance to recover well after a race
The 3 pillars of recovery are: eating well, drinking well, sleeping well.
Eat healthily, with as many fruits and vegetables as possible. They contain antioxidants. Avoid overly acidifying foods such as processed dishes, cold cuts, red meat, etc. Also drink plenty to eliminate toxins. Finally, sleep as much as possible. It’s your best ally for recovering after a race.
Finally, if you had any pain during or after your race, do not hesitate to see a physiotherapist or osteopath within two weeks after your race.
How to train in the upcoming weeks?
If you are using RunMotion Coach, you can indicate after your goal that you want a recovery program for 2 or 3 weeks. You will have a little more rest than usual, slow runs in fundamental endurance, and lighter sessions from the third week.
This will also give you time to plan your next races 😉
When you are ready to start preparing for your next goal, set it as your main goal in the app. If you feel you haven’t recovered enough yet, indicate that you want a lighter 2 weeks to start your training plan.
Good recovery, and see you soon!