Rest and recovery throughout training and following a race are critical components to speed recovery, reduce injury risk and help prevent mental fatigue. For those of you training for any long-distance race, you know it takes a lot of hard work, quite a few sacrifices and sometimes the mental strength and discipline of a superhero to fit everything in. It’s easy to forget how important rest and recovery are – just as important as those tough speed sessions and long runs we log each week.

It has been 10 days since I ran the Albany Marathon. Even though I have 2 races scheduled in April, I have truly taken race recovery to heart this month. During the past 10 days, I’ve only run twice. I’ve logged 9 miles over the period of 10 days. I’ve slept in. I’ve rested. And although temporarily, I haven’t worried about training, cross-training and everything else that I’m constantly thinking about when it comes to running (and triathlon training). Sure, I could have done a little more (maybe even should have done a little more), but we all need a break! It’s ok to take a little time (or a lot of time) to decompress, to enjoy the high of a great race and reconnect with the reason you love doing this in the first place.

I’m finally back on the running grid, but a little time off has done wonders for my mind and my body. Since I’ve been in recovery mode, I’m sharing some race recovery tips with you today. Here are 5 key areas to keep in mind when it comes to race recovery tips. (These race recovery tips are consistent with recommendations from the North American Academy of Sport Fitness Professionals through which I am being certified as a marathon coach.)

Race Recovery Tips

Immediately following a race. Immediately following a race, cool down by walking or slowly jogging until your heart rate returns to normal. Wait about an hour or 2 after a long race to stretch. If you can soak your legs in cold water to help reduce inflammation, that is great. Hydrate by drinking a cup of water every hour for 6 hours, and be sure to replenish lost electrolytes. Eat within 30 minutes after your race, getting a mix of carbohydrates, protein and fats. A good rule of thumb is to consume about 50 grams of carbs within that first 30-minute window. Click here to see some sample post-race/post-long run fueling ideas from the nutritionist for the Brooks Beast Track Club.

Duration of recovery. After a race, there are some normal side effects you will likely experience, such as decreased energy, soreness and possibly even emotional blues. This is all normal. A recovery period can help with all of these things and typically lasts between a week and a month depending on the length of your race and your fitness level. A good rule of thumb is that you will need 1 day of recovery for every mile you ran in your race. For example, since I ran 26.2 miles on March 1, I may need up to 26 days to fully recover. This of course is an estimate, and more conditioned athletes may only need about 7 to 10 days, while newer athletes will need a full 3 to 4 weeks. Lower mileage and easy training days should be the focus during this recovery period.

Activity & training during recovery. The first week after a big race should be easy and consist of a lot of rest (4 to 5 days of no activity), with a few easy miles toward the end of the week if you are feeling up to it. The second week after the race should resemble a taper-like week, with easy and hard days being alternated (still taking 2-3 days of rest) and avoiding speed work/intervals. Most runners can return to building again during the third week, reintroducing cross training and gradually incorporating speed work/tempos again. Newer runners may want to wait another week or 2.

Race condition maintenance. To maintain race conditions, the North American Academy of Sport Fitness Professionals recommends the following weekly mileage for the below distances. Remember, this is just a guide, and what works for some people may be different for others:

• Maintain 10K race conditioning: Run about 20 miles per week, with mileage peaking around 25 miles per week every third week (with your long run being 6.2 miles).
• Maintain half marathon race conditioning: Run about 25 miles per week, with mileage peaking around 35 miles per week every third week (with your long run being 12 miles).
• Maintain marathon race conditioning: Run about 35 miles per week, with mileage peaking around 45 miles per week every third week (with your long run being around 20 miles).

Decompress and have some fun. After a race, stop worrying about the race, your training and doing everything perfect. Take some time off. Do something fun. Relax! If continuing to train and race is something you want to do, you need to take physical and mental breaks to keep enjoying it and to continue being healthy and happy doing it.

What does your recovery look like after a big race like a half marathon, marathon or long distance triathlon? What additional race recovery tips would you share?