You’ve crossed the finish line. The adrenaline rush is over and the cheering crowd is a thing of the past. Now it’s time to take care of your body after those long runs. You trained up until race day – this include a healthy diet, plenty of training, and lots of supplements, especially an HGH supplement like Genf20 Plus, Genfx and Sytropin that can help your performance and help you recover from any injuries. But it’s not over yet. Now you need to train to recover from a marathon. A proper recovery will help you to avoid injury and burnout. More on the benefits of HGH supplements can be found at this link.
The First Hour After the Race
After you’ve crossed the finish line, it’s important that you turn your attention to your recovery. It’s okay to exchange stories with the other racers but make sure you are attending to your needs to.
- Find dry clothes – Once you have finished your run, your body will almost instantly switch into recovery mode. You’ll begin to feel cold and clammy even on a warm day. It’s important to avoid the post race chills by changing into some nice warm clothes right after the race. Changing shoes is important. To avoid feet swelling, don’t put sandals on even in the warm weather.
- Get your feet up – After a quick change, you are going to want to lie down and get your feet up. They’ve been working hard and your body needs to help getting the blood flowing. This is a good time to relax a little too. You’ve worked hard. You should keep your feet up for at least 20 minutes. You should do this throughout the day for the next day or so.
- You need some quick calorie intake – It’s time for your recovery meal, which usually it is best to take liquid in. Stay away from sugary drinks including processed fruit juice. Use what worked for you in training but make sure that you take it in no later than 30 minutes after your event has ended.
- Take care of any injury, muscle strains, blisters, etc. – You are done the race so now you can assess the real damage and deal with it. Your brain will be a lot clearer and if you have to pick up supplies or see a doctor, you’ve already met your basic needs.
The Next 12 Hours
You are not completely clear at this point. You’ve located your family and friends by now and you might even be back at the hotel or suite thinking about what you are going to eat for your next meal. It’s time for you to:
- Get cleaned up – having a shower will refresh you and you’ll become aware of any issues like chafing. A cool shower is best if you can handle it.
- It’s time for some serious nutrition – your stomach has likely settled from the race and now you can focus on eating a healthy meal. You’ll probably have some serious cravings going on. This is a good time to listen to these urges as long as they are healthy choices.
- It’s time for a little celebration – You have more than earned the right to celebrate. It’s time to party just don’t overdo it because your body really is still running on fumes even though it may seem like it’s like your revived.
- Get a good night’s sleep – There’s a good chance you are going to be so tired you can’t hardly stay away, but your muscles are going to be sore and so sleeping can be more difficult than you think. Change position as often as you need to.
The Next 72 Hours
By the time 72 hours has passed you are through the toughest part of the recovery journey. Just make sure you stay active and try not to get too stationary. Go for a short walk or head to the pool, as this will help to flush the toxins out. You are going to need to rest often so respect your body’s demands. Continue eating high quality meals and snacks as your body really needs this nutrition. Participate in a self massage. Lightly work your glutes, quads, hamstrings, and calves as this can help to promote your recovery.
Movin On Up
The race is over, you are feeling pretty good now that you are participating in the intense recovery but your work is far from done. You are a long ways from 100 percent. You should not run for at least a week after the race.
I am currently training for my first marathon and I was excited to see this post.It has some really good tips and I think it will help me prepare for after the race.