A Marathon Runner’s Guide to Race Recovery
In the past 10+ years, marathon running participation has increased by 49.43%. This shows that marathon running, as a sport, has increased in popularity exponentially.
These statistics show that we can expect an increase in runners participating in our local, Sunshine Coast Marathon this October and an increase in runners needing to recover from the marathon.
Marathon Recovery Guide
At Magic Massage, we know race recovery is a massive part of marathon running and is really important to get right. We have created this guide to race recovery to help all our local marathon runners get it right!
Immediately after racing the runner should:
- Continue to move: that sounds silly after completing a 42km marathon but ensuring your muscles have a continual supply of oxygenated blood will aid in the recovery process.
- Put compression gear on: this can help reduce muscle swelling and continue to encourage circulation to the area.
- Eat and drink: at the end of a marathon, eating is the last thing on your mind. However, ensuring you eat and rehydrate your body is vital in fueling your body forward.
- Have a quick post-race massage: at most marathons, they will provide a masseuse at the finish line offering a post-race massage. This is great to get to those muscle and minor injuries as quickly as possible. Although, booking a professional sports massage a few days post-race is a must!
In the days following the marathon, the runner should:
- Get on ice: jump in an ice bath or some really cold water, whatever you have access to! This helps to reduce delayed onset muscle soreness.
- Sleep: of course, sleep is the best thing for recovery. It allows your body to rest after going through a strenuous experience.
- Book a massage: make sure you get to a qualified massage therapist within a few days after your race. Once your body has had time to settle and repair minor muscular damage and injuries itself, it is time to let the massage therapist take the reins. This massage will likely be uncomfortable but so good for your muscles and recovery time.
Race recovery is a big job, at Magic Massage our qualified massage therapists would be happy to step you through the process and ensure that you have a plan in place for your next marathon.
Contact the team at Magic Massage today so we can prepare your body for your next race and help you recover.