How to be able to walk the day following a marathon?

rom

I know I should cooldown etc but is there a very minimum that I could do to benefit me for the next day ?

rob w

rom wrote: »

I know I should cooldown etc but is there a very minimum that I could do to benefit me for the next day ?

Crutches!

Its my first this year and had been wondering what its going to be like the next day. A good warmdown, and get fluids and protein in straight away to give the recovery a kickstart is definitely a must for me!

robinph

I'd love to know this as I've never been to sprightly up and down the stairs after a marathon, even after taking it a bit easier with pacing in last years DCM the airplane steps were still a challenge on the way back. This weekend I'm running a 10km, marathon and half marathon on consecutive days though. If I can even make it to the start line of the half I'll be doing well.

Cartman78

Walking down stairs backwards does actually work the day after.

Other than that I find that feigning man-flu and generally moping on the couch and guilt-tripping people into getting stuff for you really cuts down on the amount of walking required;)

Enduro

Things which I've found help recover from long races:

(1) train long! The body adapts and gets used to it!
(2) Get a sports massage ASAP afterwards. If there is one going free at the finish, make it a priority to get one. Make sure it's good and deep.
(3) Ice baths. I was sceptical of these, but it certainly does no harm and may actually help.
(4) Jacuzzi... the softies option instead of (2) and (3), or maybe afterwards

blockic

rob w wrote: »

A good warmdown

You might say that now but on the day this will never happen!

Krusty_Clown

Avoid spending the entire day afterwards sitting around at a cramped table sipping pints. Personally I'm willing to put up with a bit of suffering the next day. It's like a badge of honour for three months of suffering. Kind of like an Ironman tattoo that washes off after three days. Besides, you gotta have the pints!

MisterDrak

Enduro wrote: »

Things which I've found help recover from long races:

(3) Ice baths. I was sceptical of these, but it certainly does no harm and may actually help.

Big fan for these for post LSR recovery, they work wonders...

ger664

Standing in the sea or a river waist high afterwards where possible.

TFBubendorfer

rom wrote: »

Is there a very minimum that I could do to benefit me for the next day ?

Yes. HTFU.

kingQuez

I've been doing some basic strength exercises this year (squats/single leg deadlifts/walking lunges) after an injury last year, and it surprized me how worthwhile it's been for general recovery. In the past I've done absolutely no strength work, so it was all new to me. I've had fewer niggles day to day, and then the quickest recovery from a marathon that I've ever had (usually I'd have stiff/sore/agony knees for the best part of a week--this year day 1 legs were a bit stiff, day 2 they were just tired). Not really a quickfix, and not something I make enough time for, but long term I think I see benefit in it for injury avoidance/recovery.

racso1975

Here is too bits of experience and take from it what you will.

Did my first marathon in 99 crossed the finish line headed across the road jumped into a taxi. Got home and i swear i that i thought i would not make it out of taxi without crawling!!!!! You don't even want to hear about next morning

2 weeks ago i did a 100k cycle. Afterwards i drank 2 litres of water and stretched properly. I refused to sit down and watched the all Ireland stretching and walking around the sitting room. Next day not a bother!!!! I also swear by vit c post event.

average_runner

I never really suffer too much the day after, maybe a small bit sore but no problem with stairs etc.

Peckham

Never understand how anyone feels able (either physically or mentally) to run the day after an all-out effort marathon, or indeed the day after that.

Am guessing swimming is a good way to alleviate some of the agonies. Hoping to fit a (slightly drunk*) swim in after leaving the afternoon drinking session in Chicago next week and then a hungover swim the next morning. By swim, of course, I mean kick my legs around in the water.

(*accompanied by the sober Mrs P)

Rantan

for the last few marathons Ive had icebaths after LSRs 16m + however I moved away for the last 6 months with work and dont have a bath where I am ...so havent had one this time round and dont notice any differnece post LSR TBH
backwards down stairs is a must if your knees/ITB tend to suffer

ultraman1

Hotel room + 4 hookers usually works....

mr.wiggle

average_runner wrote: »

I never really suffer too much the day after, maybe a small bit sore but no problem with stairs etc.

Ah Great, what was the question again?

Couldnt even walk home without help after my first one last year, and that was after a massage in the tent at the finish line! Trained harder for my last two and found doing the stretch routines afterwards along with a calf rub allowed me to hobble to the pub alright. Recovery run the day after?... Forget about it ( to be said in your best New Jersey accent!)

JJJJNR

If your in pain the next day, to the extent you can't walk? your doing it wrong..

Trampas

ultraman1 wrote: »

Hotel room + 3 hookers usually work....

Is that included in the 50k entry fee?

rom

JJJJNR wrote: »

If your in pain the next day, to the extent you can't walk? your doing it wrong..

I can walk but stairs are bad today. I just noticed other people on the plane some which ran sub 3 had no issues with steps etc. Then again I did cramp from 30k onwards this time.

TFBubendorfer

rom wrote: »

I can walk but stairs are bad today. I just noticed other people on the plane some which ran sub 3 had no issues with steps etc. Then again I did cramp from 30k onwards this time.

It does get a lot easier once you have done a few. After my first marathon I swore I'd never run again, these days I can run them on consecutive days without too much bother.

It kind of makes sense to me that the sub-3 runners would generally feel okay - most of them would already have several marathons in their legs.

rom

TFBubendorfer wrote: »

It does get a lot easier once you have done a few. After my first marathon I swore I'd never run again, these days I can run them on consecutive days without too much bother.

It kind of makes sense to me that the sub-3 runners would generally feel okay - most of them would already have several marathons in their legs.

I suppose like the half I did recently took nothing out of my legs.

tunguska

TFBubendorfer wrote: »

It does get a lot easier once you have done a few. After my first marathon I swore I'd never run again, these days I can run them on consecutive days without too much bother.

It kind of makes sense to me that the sub-3 runners would generally feel okay - most of them would already have several marathons in their legs.

Yeah the more you do them and the faster you get the less intense the post race DOMS are. But I also think the shoes you wear on the day play a big part too. I mean if you're wearing a pair of racing flats like the asics Piranhas then your legs will be in a heap for a week after at the very least.

ThePiedPiper

Generally I think hydration and plenty of walking or stretching out of the muscles is the way to go.. Try and get some food and a couple of litres of water before the pints..

Saying that, the first thing to touch my lips in last two marathons was beer, forget the recovery, enjoy the race and the post race celebrations, you only get to experience that once

nerraw1111

Yeah based on my recovery last year, I'd recommend pints, cheese toastie and a brief walk to another pub, stretch the legs like, before regaling friends, yet again, about your heroics. Water between pints too.

My first marathon I was in a heap for a week. Better training last time round.

PVincent

After London this year I was prob the least stiff after a marathon than before ( 8 th marathon) but probably prepared better than ever. If you can stretch fair play but it is not an ideal time to be doing too much , as the muscles are not in great shape for any more stretching. The ice baths are a personal thing , I have used them and found them good and useful , even psychologically beneficial if you even think they are helping. For London I used hot baths after the long runs as it was so flamin cold and wet last winter, and found those just as helpful. There is no remedy that they have ever discovered for DOMS. It is a bit of a mystery to them as nothing really helps . Massages can be very sore, walking also , jogging even more so . Everyone is different. There is some research done about the benefits of Cherry juice being a bit helpful . I had pomegranate juice in the hotel and drank that but no idea if it made any difference.

Cartman78

ultraman1 wrote: »

Hotel room + 4 hookers usually works....

Hookers are like gels...you need to find the optimum number to maximise performance