By now many of you may know that I recently ran the NYC Marathon, and as detailed in my race report, was completely bowled over by what an incredible day it was in every way. When I finished this dizzyingly fun race, my entire being was beaming from the inside out, but my legs and feet were also screaming. My post-marathon waddle back to the hotel had me bracing for a long recovery, like all my other marathons.

Much to my surprise, however, it took just a few short days before I felt like a million bucks again.

So what did I do differently this time around? I planned ahead…and did the full court press on recovery immediately after the race. Here’s how it unfolded:

Starting on the long walk back to the hotel, I choked down part of a turkey and provolone sandwich my sweet husband offered me, along with more water and electrolytes, even though none of it sounded appealing at the time. Back at the hotel I nibbled on a protein bar, pretzels and half a banana.

Even though a shower was my #1 desire, I forced myself to first stretch, foam roll, elevate my legs and feet, use my massage stick on my calves, work on my quads with my deep tissue massage Theragun, and roll my feet on a lacrosse ball.

Then I allowed myself a long, hot shower, after which I squeezed myself into compression tights and socks underneath some loose pants before walking with my friend, Janet, and family to seek out pizza. Lots of pizza. With gooey cheese, veggies and chicken. My Apple watch told me I had burned nearly 3,000 calories during the race so I had some making up to do! 🙂

Afterward, my family and I strolled around the city to enjoy several of NYC’s most iconic sites lit up at night. At first I was hesitant to do this because I was dog tired by that point, but remembered the phrase a wise physical therapist shared with me when helping rehab my severely sprained ankle several years ago: “Motion is lotion.” He said those words to encourage me to get moving to increase the range of motion in my ankle as soon as possible. This certainly held true post-marathon as well with muscle recovery.

After our evening rendez-vous, I took vitamins, consumed more water and electrolytes, slathered arnica and Biofreeze on tired muscles and tendons, then fell into a deep, glorious sleep, still wearing compression tights.

When I woke up in the morning, I could feel I was already nearly back in business. I spent the next day doing much the same, enjoying a hearty breakfast of eggs, avocado, veggies, and wheat toast, and even more importantly, I spent the entire day in motion, walking all over the city to take in all our favorite places, and explore fun new locales. The stairs in and out of the subway let me know I still needed time to fully recover, but overall, I was extremely pleased with how my body felt compared to previous marathons.

Back at home in CA the next day, after a long day of flying (wearing another pair of compression tights and socks), I splurged on a massage and also got an adjustment from my chiropractor. That sealed the recovery deal. Batta boom. Now I felt really great, especially combined with the lingering happy buzz I still carried from a fabulous trip and marathon.

Now, nearly two weeks later, I’m still trying to consciously eat better than ever, be mindful of hydration, supplements, and sleep, and also do a reverse taper, easing back into mileage, starting with 4 really gentle miles every other day or so, and also doing some cross-training and light weights. I will give myself a few more weeks of easy, unstructured running before I think about adding in any intensity or distance over 6 miles.

I hope by sharing what helped me recover quickly, you can glean what works for you, and have the same recovery magic after your next marathon or intense race.

Here’s a recap of 12 Post-Race Recovery Tips

• Consume protein and carbs immediately after the marathon and continue being mindful about eating nutrient-dense foods for days and weeks to come.
• Re-hydrate with both water and electrolytes to replenish what you’ve sweat out during the race. Continue so until your urine is light yellow to clear.
• Wear compression tights and socks to improve blood flow and oxygen delivery to your muscles and connective tissue to help repair the micro-trauma they’ve experienced during the event.
• Foam roll, stretch, and massage legs and feet. A massage gun works well for legs, and a lacrosse ball works well for feet.
• Sleep, sleep, and sleep some more.
• Get a professional massage, if possible.
• Pull on a pair of Hyperice/Normatec compression pants if you’re fortunate enough to own them.
• Soak in epsom salt bath or a jacuzzi. I would have done that if there had been a tub in my hotel.
• Keep gently moving (motion is lotion). Re-set mind, body and spirit by taking some time to revel in your accomplishment, and simply keep gently moving your body without specific goals.
• Embrace cross-training right now–swimming, cycling, walking, rowing, elliptical, yoga–whatever makes you happiest. The idea is to give your muscles a little break from the repetition of running.
• Ease back into a training routine by doing a reverse taper, starting with low, gentle miles and building back up to more substantial mileage and intensity.
• Start dreaming about next adventures, but hold off implementing training for it until you feel fully recovered.

If you have a “go to” recovery trick you lean on, I’d love to hear what works well for you!

Happy running and recovering!
xo Becky