Post Marathon Recovery

After the high comes the low ... It's been two weeks since the NWM and I've been itching to run and plan for the next big race. The first week I completely allowed my body to recover and didn't do much running. Fearful of getting sick, I took it easy, rested a ton, and did some active walking (while window shopping!) There was a lot more free time on my hands than normal, so I naturally started looking into my next runner's high race (TBD...)

This past week I laced up my running shoes for the first time since the marathon, and cautiously hit the pavement running. The first day back I only ran 2 miles and paid very close attention to aches and pains in my body. Running at a 10:15 pace on the treadmill, it felt great to run but my legs definitely felt very heavy and fatigued. After the treadmill, I continued the cardio on the stationary bike for a good 20 miles before calling it a workout session and realizing I still had some recovery time left in me. A few days later, I hit the real pavement for a 4 mile run at MSP. Surprisingly, I felt great and pounded out a 9:15 mile pace. Maybe I was a little too eager and ambitious?! ... This past weekend, I was mentally and emotionally ready to go for a long run to clear my mind and refuel my endorphins. My mind was ready but my legs were still lagging. Ha! About 5 miles into my run my left knee started feeling a sharp medial pain. The pain was alarming enough for me to stop, walk it off, and stretch a bit. I finished off the remaining 3 miles of the 8 mile run w/ a light jog and feeling overall frustrated w/ myself. :(

I was very fortunate to have an injury-free and blister-free first marathon. With that said, I've been way too excited to get back into my pre-race running and not allowing my body to fully recover. After reading a few running articles on post marathon recovery, I realized what my body is going through right now is very normal and it may take a few more weeks before my legs feel back to normal. So as long as I don't push my body too hard and remain healthy, I'll be ready to get back into the training for the next big race ... Now, which race will this be? :)