This past Saturday I ran my 2nd HM. After my first HM this past October, my legs ached and felt bad several days afterward.
This time even though I ran slower (one minute 40 secs) due to not enough LRs because of illness and holidays during training, I felt much better after the race and the 2 plus hour drive home and the following days. This time I hydrated at every water stop and ingested a couple shot blocks every 4 miles. Also the next day, I did a slow recovery run for 3 miles.
So should I attribute the recovery from HM the second time around due to race experience, proper hydrating & fueling during race, the next day slow recovery run, or just plain good luck?
I'm curious from those who have run more than one HM.
“Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.” - T.S. Eliot
I find that common. The more you run and teh more training you do, the faster you'll recover. I felt super sore after my first marathon, but not after my second, third, etc. It gets better the more you do it.
Damaris
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Yes, because arguably you are better trained the second time around, and you have some idea what to expect.
i hurt more after my MH in October than I did after my full marathon earlier this month. Pace wise I was faster for the full. My half was did have a lot more inclines and declines than my full did though.
I think that DR hit the nail on the head with her statment that more miles means less recovery time.
”Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.”
“Whether you think you can, or you think you can't--you're right.”
Tomas
Hey, are we twins? I did my first HM in October too, and my second on Jan. 13. I also didn't train as well for my second one as my first, although I did actually run the second one 8 minutes faster (downhill course and strong tailwind helped....). And, I also felt considerably better after this recent HM than my first one. I was super-sore after the first one for about 3 days, and a little sore a few more days after that. This time, I was just moderately sore for about 2-3 days. So I guess I don't really have anything helpful to say other than, you're not alone!
PRs:
5k - 22:53 (May 2015)
10k - 50:00 (unofficial; part of 20k race, March 2015); 50:33 (official; July 2016)
HM - 1:48:40 (Apr. 2015)
kween
yes, that would make sense, you are totally in better condition.
Nolite te bastardes carborundum.
Thanks everyone for your input. I have one more HM schedule this year in mid-March.
Are we there, yet?
It probably is common, but it hasn't been my usual experience. How I feel after a race is more closely related to how well I've trained and how well I've executed my race plan. Since I rarely race at any distance that I'm not well-prepared for, most of the time feeling bad after a race is an indication of either very poor execution or an exceptionally hard effort.
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.
Shakedown Street
I felt better after my 2nd than my 1st. 2nd was faster. They were about 11 days apart.
2 reasons.
1) No flight after 2nd one.
2) Friend ran with me = more fun.
Started-5/12, RWOL refugee,5k-24:23 (1/12/13),10K-55:37(9/15/12),HM-1:52:59(3/24/13)
Antipodean
Really? I ran a 10k on Sunday and haven't been the slightest bit sore. I'm used to a bit of a tightness after a race, at least in my legs. I also ran over a minute slower than my PR and felt disappointed that maybe I just didn't push myself hard enough.
Julie
"It's not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves."
~ Sir Edmund Hillary
Mostly harmless
This past Saturday I ran my 2nd HM. After my first HM this past October, my legs ached and felt bad several days afterward. This time even though I ran slower (one minute 40 secs) due to not enough LRs because of illness and holidays during training, I felt much better after the race and the 2 plus hour drive home and the following days. This time I hydrated at every water stop and ingested a couple shot blocks every 4 miles. Also the next day, I did a slow recovery run for 3 miles. So should I attribute the recovery from HM the second time around due to race experience, proper hydrating & fueling during race, the next day slow recovery run, or just plain good luck? I'm curious from those who have run more than one HM.
I would think the primary factor for feeling better after the 2nd one is better training but you didn't mention that. Was there a big difference in your training from the first to the second?
"It doesn’t matter how often you do it or how much you accomplish, in general, not running is a lot easier than running." - Meb Keflezighi
ImNotScott - reviewing my manual training logs from my first race compared to my second race, I did notice that I was more consistent running 5 days/week for my 2nd HM. In addition, occassionally I would add a longer mid week run when time permitted.