Two-part question:
1. What do you use for marathon recovery? I am pretty sore but am sure I can get back into it before too long. I assumed it was best to get back into running every day as soon as possible, although short & slow. But looking some of the recovery schedules (e.g. Pfitz), they have a extra rest days for a few weeks. What has worked for those of you who have done a few?
2. There is a half marathon in 3 weeks I'd like to do, just because it is very close. Any suggestions of what to do training-wise (if anything) between now & then? I will plan to just run it with whatever I have on that day, even if a jog, it's not a goal race.
Thanks!
Dave
Particularly where my marathon has really been an all out race effort, I make sure to ease back into running slowly. Your body is beat up and you want to give it a full chance to recover. I've had good luck with the following approach.
First week post race -- 2 full RDs. On day 3 I do an easy workout -- elliptical, or 2 mile sloooow jog. Day 4, another RD. Days 5-7, maybe two short and easy runs (3 or 4 miles each).
Second week -- I resume about half my normal volume, but no hills or speed work. Every run is easy and my easy pace will be a lot lot slower than usual.
Third week -- Back to 75%, and cautiously adding back in some harder running.
Fourth week -- Searching for new races and ready to start training again.
Last year I did a HM three weeks after my marathon. It was a hilly, trail race and I didn't run it all out. It was a reasonable effort, but I could tell my legs weren't 100% back yet.
Life is good.
Uffda
OOTB has it pretty well. I'd just run easy miles between now and the HM, but I think you could do it. Especially with your solid miles base.
- Andrew
I like OOTB's approach. I usually follow Pfitz' recovery plan or do at least two full rest days after the race and start with a slow 5 miler on Wednesday (for goal races - PR efforts). I think three weeks is sufficient for you to run the HM but it might not be a PR effort by then.
Damaris
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An all out marathon effort takes me anywhere from 4-6 weeks to recover from physically and perhaps longer than that to recover from mentally. After my last marathon in November, the next week was 15 miles, the week after than 25, and the week after that 40. Almost all of it was just easy jogging. Actually, in looking at my log, I tried a modest speed session after about 2 1/2 weeks and had to cut it short as my times were fading and my recoveries were getting longer.
I might add that I think an all out effort in that half marathon is a bad idea and I have gotten injured by trying to do too much too soon after a race. World class runners don't do things like that and they recover much faster than we do. That's one of the things that makes them as good as they are. I read something recently from a coach of national caliber runners or an MD (can't recall and don't feel like looking it up) but he made the point that you aren't fully recovered from a race even when you feel like you are fully recovered. It's one time when going exclusively by how you feel can lead you astray.
Short term goal: 17:59 5K
Mid term goal: 2:54:59 marathon
Long term goal: To say I've been a runner half my life. (I started running at age 45).
I took 6 days off after each of my marathons, only doing the elliptical for 30 minutes or so by day 3 or 4 both times. I am extremely caution though when it comes to resuming running after a marathon so take that for what it is worth. I am basically a chicken in that regard!
If it were me I would rule out pretty much all pace work between the time you resume running and your half marathon, as there is simply not enough time (in my opinion) to gain anything tangible while your body is recovering from such a traumatic event in a span of 2 to 2.5 weeks.
One way to do it would be to run easy until that day limiting your long run to moderate in length with maybe a couple strides once or twice that week and arrive fresh and ready to give it whatever you have at that time. Which coming off of marathon training and the race might actually surprise you without the need to do much more.
You could also just go by how your body feels and if you think you have a tempo mile or two in you as the race approaches go for it. One thing about recovery is it can sometimes be unpredictable and you may feel you could run faster sooner than you thought.
Good luck with whatever you decide!
This is what I did last spring:
April 15: PR in Boston.
Week of April 16 to 21 (6 days): 21 miles, all at recovery. Following week: 9 miles easy, 7 miles with 5x800 at HM pace, 6 miles easy with strides
April 27th (12 days exactly after Boston): HM PR. The half-marathon went great, I felt strong and I have no regrets. I would do it again. My HM finish time was actually better than my marathon time, according to McMillan.
BUT...
In my ever so amazing stupidity, I ran 61 miles including some pretty fast intervals, hard hill work and no rest days, the week after the half. The week after that, I ran 60 miles including a 20 miler. Then I started a taper in preparation for another marathon (wth was I thinking about?), which ended with 50 miles and some light pain in my right foot. Marathon day ended in a DNF with persistent foot pain and I was unable to run for two months after that.
I gambled. I won some. I lost some. I'm still a gambler, but I'm a little more careful now...
PRs: Boston Marathon, 3:27, April 15th 2013
Cornwall Half-Marathon, 1:35, April 27th 2013
18 marathons, 18 BQs since 2010
So what Lily is saying, is take some time off after a Marathon, but take double that amount after a Half. I think I got that right.
uʍop ǝpᴉsdn sǝʇᴉɹʍ ʇI
Dave, I think you and I are pretty close in our abilities and are similar runners. I have run two marathons now and my recovery after each was very different. After my first one, I was sore as anything and used that time to take an extended break. I ran maybe three time in two weeks, if I remember correctly, and even after that it took me another four or five weeks to feel fresh and back to normal. I trained hard for that one and it really beat me up. After my second one, I was sore, but nothing like before. Granted, I did not train hard for it like the other one, but I felt like new less than a week later. Still, I did nothing but easy runs for about ten days after.
As far as your HM, you obviously have the fitness and the base. If you feel up to it, I guess try some tempo runs and/or intervals to get some speed back into your legs. I'm paranoid, so I would be careful not to overdo anything.
Good luck in the HM and don't go and get injured.
Goo, probably the most experienced marathoner on these forums, always says slow, slow miles are best for recovery.
Also, to add on to what LRB said, even without faster work your current fitness would put you in position to PR (if last year's martian is your PR).
Are we there, yet?
I try to get back running as soon as possible, the next day if I can, but I take it slow and easy for several days before starting to throw in some short, easy fartlek to stretch out and loosen up. It may be 2-3 weeks before I'm back to normal training. The mileage will return to normal before the intensity does.
2024 Races:
03/09 - Livingston Oval Ultra 6-Hour, 22.88 miles
05/11 - D3 50K 05/25 - What the Duck 12-Hour
06/17 - 6 Days in the Dome 12-Hour.
delicate flower
I pretty much do exactly as George described. I wouldn't expect to be able to run my best race for a good month after the marathon. Now that said, I am signed up for a HM two weeks after my next marathon. I'm part of a half ironman relay team. So, I will be giving it my best effort, whatever that happens to be. It may be slow and it may suck, but I've got a team to think about. We have aspirations of winning the coed relay division.
<3
Thanks for everyone's comments. I think I am going to rest more than originally planned & generally be super-conservative. I should be in no hurry.
After my first marathon, I was completely crippled, could barely walk for 2-3 days, and didn't run for a full week.
After my second, I didn't feel too bad, and got back into it pretty quickly. Did 27 miles the first week, then 31 miles the second, which would've been more but that was when I got injured. Coincidence? I think not worth taking any chances.
Still undecided as to the HM, although need to decide quickly since it is filling up. I imagine I would be able to run it at not-full effort, but holding back if I'm feeling good is probably easier said than done.
Sounds smart Dave. I've read that your body is very vulnerable to injury post-marathon and that's why you should take it slow and easy, even if you feel you could do more.
Hold up, stop the press!
I just realized there is a 1 mile race there. Aw shit!
Most 1 mile races around these parts are just fun runs for kids with a few exceptions, but they are charging 20 bucks so this could be the real-deal Holyfield!