Running a marathon will, in most cases, be a massive strain on the body, and how you recover afterward will be essential to reduce the risk of injury.
Recovery time after a marathon
You must take the time to recover after a marathon. What you do in the weeks after running a marathon can be the difference between whether you get injured or not, depending on how much strain the race has been. You will probably have felt that during the race, whether the marathon went well or not. If you have worn yourself through large parts of the race, it may have contributed to an even more significant strain on your body. Also, pay attention to pain in the feet or knees, in addition to the usual muscle pain you get after a marathon. The pain can be vague and diffuse. It can be a sign of a developing injury, and you need to take it easy so that possible injuries do not develop. The recovery time after the marathon consequently varies from individual to individual, and you have to consider how long you need. It would be best if you, therefore, took it easy. Remember that you have very little to gain from getting started quickly after a marathon, on the contrary.
How long do you have to recover after a marathon?
You should at least recover 3-4 weeks after the marathon, maybe longer, depending on how the muscles, knees, joints, and ligaments feel as you go after the marathon. You should mainly carry out light exercise during these weeks, preferably alternative activity, which gives your body the least possible strain. Eventually, when you feel your body begin to return to its old state, you may have a gradual increase in how much you exercise. Re-training after a marathon becomes the first period after the race in many ways, like starting from the beginning again, where you gradually increase the amount of training and training with higher intensity.
Recovery the week after a marathon
The week after the marathon, you can have complete rest 2-4 days right after the race. If you feel like it, you can take 1-2 short walks during the rest of the week.
Recovery 1-2 weeks after the marathon
Start week two after the marathon by walking for 30-45 minutes. The next training session can be to jog 30 minutes and finish with five ascents with moderate intensity. End this training week with a jog for 30-40 minutes. All jogging this week should be with very low intensity.
Recovery 2-3 weeks after a marathon
Start week 3 with a 50-minute recovery workout. The following workout can be a 5 × 2-minute interval with moderate intensity. 2 minutes break between each interval. Jog down finally. The last workout this week can be leisurely running for 60 minutes.
Recovery after a marathon
Continue the recovery period after three weeks if necessary, depending on how the legs feel. If you are outstanding in the legs, you can resume regular training, but remember to gradually build up the amount of training and intensity as the body becomes stronger.
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