Marathon Recovery Tips

Whether you’ve just ran 26.2 miles or you just finished your first 5K, your feet are likely going to feel the effects for a few days. If you want to help your feet and your body bounce back after a long run, here are some tips to keep in mind.

Post Race

As soon as you cross the finish line, there are a few things your’ll want to do to aid in your recovery, especially if you just finished a full or half marathon.

• Switch Your Footwear – Your feet are going to be sore, so switch out of your racing shoes and into a dry, comfortable pair of shoes that offers your whole foot some support.

• Warmth – You probably sweat during the race, and that wetness can contribute to the post-race chills if you don’t change out of them. Have a friend or family member bring a change of warm, dry clothes, or grab a foil blanket often offered at the finish line and wrap it around your upper body. This will radiate the heat your body is expelling back towards your body.

• Quick Calories – Your body will have burned a lot of calories during the race, so help replenish some of those calories by grabbing a granola bar or a banana after the race.

• Hydrate – You expel a lot of sweat during long races and recovery will take longer if you fail to re-hydrate. Grab some water and steadily reintroduce it to your system.

Hours and Days After The Race

Once you get back home after the race, here are some tips to keep in mind in the hours and days after the race.

• Put Your Feet Up – Go ahead, you earned it! Put your feet up for 20-30 minutes a few times throughout the day after the race. This will help facilitate optimal blood circulation after several hours of hard work. It will also help reduce swelling in your feet.

• Blister and Cut Care – Disinfect and cleanse any cuts on your feet, and read up on this previous post to learn how to care for different types of blisters on your feet.

• Move – You’ll want to put your feet up for a little while after a race, but you don’t want to live on the couch for the rest of the day. Your muscles are going to become really tight if you don’t stay somewhat active in the hours and days after a race. Go for a short walk outside and work in some stretches to keep your muscles from becoming too tight as you recover.

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