What to do after a long run?
A long run will deplete your physical and mental stores unless you learn how to recover fast and recover right. Recovering after a long run is crucial to tackling your other workouts.
Hydrate
Drink plenty of water to meet your fluid needs. As suggested early hydrating during the long run too plays a decisive role in ensuring you don’t drain out of energy reserves after the run. Juices, sports drinks, electrolytes, water, etc., are all great choices for quick energy. A power smoothie (preferably a green smoothie) is an ideal choice after a long run.
Splurge into a Rich Diet
Grab something nutritious to eat to replenish your glycogen stores. In about as early as 15 mins after the run, indulge into a meal that is high on protein and carbohydrates to provide your body with the necessary building blocks for recovery. The early your intake of carbs, the better you will avoid muscle fatigue. Have a regular meal an hour or two after the long run. Include plenty of vegetables, fruits, healthy fats, lean protein, etc., but no junk food.
Insider Tip: Consuming energy bars during the run can help speed up recovery.
Stretch your Way to Recovery
Stretch yourself thoroughly and let go of any tension that could have been built up in the muscles. Focus your stretches on major muscle groups, especially those that you strain for runs.
Indulge in Light Cross-training
A little light cross-training later in the day will do a world of good to your muscles. It will help loosen up a little. Walking, cycling, swimming, etc., are good choices.
Pamper Your Body
Some relaxation therapy will help relax your body and mind. Try dipping your legs in cool water, cool your muscles with an ice pack, getting a leg massage (preferably on the next day of the run), etc. can help reduce fatigue and muscle soreness.
Rest & Relax
Take a little nap after your shower, let the body rest. Take a day off and don’t plan for any workouts. You can indulge in low-impact activities that don’t stress the body. Light Yoga or foam rolling make excellent choices to relieve you of post-run ache.
The Long Run – The Vital Piece!
As critical as it is to the marathon, it is pertinent to remember that the long run is ONE vital piece to endurance training. The reason I have stressed on the ‘One’ is to accentuate the importance of the other workouts for a marathon. The long run should never be the lone focus of your marathon training even though all other training sessions are planned around it. A proper training program should encompass all other necessary elements such as diet, hydration, supplementing exercises, etc. A consistent training routine throughout the entire period of marathon training will yield you results rather than planning for just one big long run with several days off both preceding and succeeding it. Do it well, do it right, and steer clear of the common pitfalls, you are sure to succeed as a marathoner.
Jayanth Murali is based at Chennai, India. One fine day, he decided to substitute smoking with running. Now an avid runner, he has never looked back since then. He has done a bunch of marathons and half marathons over the years. When he is not working, he is usually running or helping people discover the endorphins of endurance.
