How to get back into training after a marathon?

Finishing a marathon is a unique athletic and mental feat that requires a great deal of discipline and preparation. First of all, a big congratulations to the marathon runners who completed this difficult and demanding race. On D-Day, the marathon required an extraordinary physical effort. The race involved a long, repeated impact on the joints and strain on the muscles and tendons that will leave their mark, even for well-trained athletes like marathon runners. The body will need to recover and repair itself. And the mistake to avoid at all costs is not giving yourself enough time to recover. After a marathon, the risk of injury is high, especially if intense physical effort is planned too soon after the event. So how can you optimally resume training after a marathon?

Priority first to physical recovery

During the marathon, the body suffers multiple micro-tears or micro-lesions of the muscles, especially in the quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves. The strain on the cardiovascular system can also lead to temporary cardiac fatigue, lasting just a few days before returning to normal. If this is not the case, you should of course consult a doctor or cardiologist. The effort is such during a marathon that the immune system is also weakened. The body will therefore be more vulnerable to viruses during the first week post-marathon. Therefore, it is important to take care of yourself first and give your body time to recover. Stay covered and dry to avoid catching a cold in the hours and days following the marathon. The priority is to let the body rest, repair, and regenerate. This is essential for recovery but also to avoid injury after the marathon. Rest, recover, eat well, stay hydrated, sleep well and not resume training too early are the key points for a successful recovery phase.

Visit to the physiotherapist or osteopath at the end of the post-marathon week

Towards the second half of the post-marathon week or at the very beginning of the following week (roughly between 3 and 10 days after the marathon), you can go see your physiotherapist, osteopath or sports doctor. A post-race assessment can help identify slight imbalances or blockages and, if necessary, carry out joint realignment or work on relaxing 'tight spots', these muscle knots, which correspond to areas of tension in the muscle fibers. If you experience pain that does not go away at rest or persistent discomfort when walking (beyond the aches and pains of the first few days after the race), or if you notice, for example, swelling or a post-race bruise, it is of course advisable to consult without delay.

Weeks 1 & 2 post-marathon: ideally no running

For two weeks, it's best to avoid running again. The micro-muscle injuries caused by the marathon actually take between one and two weeks to heal. Running too soon can not only prolong post-marathon fatigue and delay recovery, but also increase the risk of injury when the body is still weakened by the ordeal it has undergone and the intense efforts it has had to make for hours on end. For those who still want to resume physical activity without waiting for the end of this two-week period, it's best to focus on weight-bearing, non-impact sports like swimming, cycling, or the indoor elliptical trainer. A return to exercise should be done gently and in short sessions, even for these weight-bearing sports.

Weeks 3 & 4 post marathon gradual recovery

Resuming running can be done during weeks 3 and 4 post-marathon, preferably in cross-training with swimming, cycling or elliptical sessions to continue to protect and preserve joints and tendons. During these first recovery sessions, you must remain very minimalist with short sessions and at a slow pace (no interval training or long runs). The key is to take it easy to get the body used to running again and also to recover mentally. Some marathon runners experience a bit of post-marathon blues. During the two-week break that is necessary for good physical recovery, the runner may feel the effects of the sudden drop in adrenaline and endorphins to which they had become accustomed throughout the preparation. The excitement of the race and the emotions after the finish line will give way to a less exciting, more ordinary return to normal. There can also be a little weariness with running after months of intensive training. You have to allow yourself to disconnect a little, perhaps plan a vacation or one or two long weekends with family or friends to take advantage of these light weeks in terms of training and enjoy these friendly moments. In any case, you should resume training gently over these two weeks (weeks 3 and 4 post-marathon). It is recommended to start a new training program for a new goal at least one month after the marathon to benefit from a newfound mental and physical freshness. Well-managed recovery and regeneration phases, gently and without physical or mental stress, are also the secret to lasting and enjoying running for years to come.

And lasting in running is possible if you take care of yourself and your body, especially after each event, and especially a marathon. The proof: a marathon runner, Fauja Singh, ran the 42 kilometers and 195 meters in the Toronto Marathon in 2011 at the age of 100 and retired from the sport at 104!