Post Marathon Training

Peter Macdonald

So, following a marathon and training sometimes over 50 miles a week before the race, what's the proper way to train following the big day?
After my marathon on Sunday, i'm planning on letting my legs rest a bit, then head out on the bike and maybe a couple of 2 or 3 mile slow runs in the next week or so. Is this correct? Do I then just build up the miles again?
Next event is a half marathon in October, so plenty of time, but I want to maintain the fitness and level of pace that I have now as much as possible. Next marathon for me will probably be London 2019, so the more I can maintain my form, or even improve it, the better.
Top tips please! Hopefully this can help other novice marathoners to recover. Seems that most stuff online is preparation for the long race, and not much about after.

Little M.iss Happy

Really it's about how well you recover and what your aims are. I think that getting the legs moving with some gentle running (or riding if you don't feel up to a run) is a good idea and then you can do a sort or reverse taper and build the mileage back up over the next two to three weeks.

rodeoflip

Peter, your plan sounds good - the tried & trusted approach is a "reverse taper", so pretty much what you did in prep for Stirling but in reverse, so easy this week, maybe up to a 8-10 miler this weekend then maybe 15 the following weekend and then back up to 20 (if you really want to) the next weekend after that. I wouldn't go nuts with speedwork for a couple of weeks, let the legs recover. The marathon will have taken more out of you than you think, especially running it at sub 3:15 pace. On your longer runs, you'll probably feel that maintaining your normal training pace seems like a lot of effort and you'll feel tired - this is normal, your body will take at least a month to recover 100% fully from Sunday's punishment. I'm sure that plenty of sleep will also help.

After a couple of weeks, you should be able to train as normal. I'm kinda in the same boat as you - I don't currently have any marathons planned (3 in the last 5 weeks is plenty!), next events for me are the Great North Run & the Great Scottish Run (is that your half in October?). Will take it easy for a few weeks and then training will shift over summer to more half-marathon based, so shorter long runs but faster with more speedwork. As a bonus, running a half should feel easy for you now, only half the distance!

Another feature of marathons is that it's quite common to feel a bit deflated afterwards - you've spent months working hard towards a goal and building up towards that day. Suddenly it's over and you almost don't know what to do with yourself, as well as worrying about losing the fitness gains. One suggestion to counter this is to book another race - even if it's not soon, the fact that you have it booked provides some incentive to get out training again and another race to look forward to.

Your GFA time from Sunday will qualify you for London 2019, but also 2018 if you're able to make it. If you're feeling adventurous / flush, then it'll also qualify you for Boston next year!

Peter Macdonald

Thanks for the feedback.

rodeoflip, reverse taper sounds like a good plan and i'll probably just take it back to 15 or 16 miles and keep it at that level hopefully. Speedwork... what speedwork don't think i really did any proper speedwork in my marathon training. don't think i had an understanding of it until it was too late to implement it into my training. In hindsight, i think I did a lot of things wrong in my training, but i've learned form it and will carry it all forward from here on.

3 marathons in 5 weeks! Nuts... How did your times compare going through that lot? You on strava? would be good to see.

My half marathon is the illuminator run in Glen Tanar. Might still enter the Great Scottish again, as was there last year and obviously lost the time due to the short course.

Got a young family so looking forward to devoting more time to them, but have also suggested to our 8 year old that we go along to an athletics club together. Partly for her, partly for me so as I can get more structure to training rather than just heading out for random runs when they fit. No marathons in the next year for me.

rodeoflip

Peter, marathons are tough and I think it takes a few to figure out how best to tackle it for yourself - what training works for you, what kit, effect of weather, etc. It is a learning experience.

3 marathons were Boston - 3:24:26 in tough conditions - I had trained well but the unusually hot weather on the day really hit me hard, didn't run a full mile after about 6 miles in. Struggled to get to the finish, was taken off the finish line in a wheelchair (that was a first). Both legs cramped, upper and lower, and blisters on feet were horrific. London - 6 days later - 3:14:25 - was very apprehensive but ran with a couple of mates and really enjoyed it, until about 19 miles where fatigue set in and the going got a bit tough. And then Stirling on Sunday, 3:05:05. Ran all three with a running club mate, crossed the finish line together at London and Stirling.

I did four marathons in seven weeks 2 years ago (Paris, London, Edinburgh & Liverpool), and funnily enough, times were progressively faster for each one then too. Maybe the best training for a marathon is running a marathon?

If you can, you might as well enter the GSR, especially as it will be half price for you this year? I had a 3 minute PB there last year so was also gutted when it didn't count.

Peter Macdonald

Yeah, I had ran the previous year in 1.38 which was my introduction to running. Then last year got 1.29 and it doesn't count! Ne'er mind. Mistakes happen. Was a perfect day for a run as well.

cougie

I don't think there's a right way or a wrong way to do this. Marathons are so personal and even then - running a hard marathon takes so much out of your legs than an easy one. 

If you're training for a half then you probably want to take the long runs back up to half distance - but you can ease your way into it. 

Peter Macdonald

So, I managed a couple of 2 mile runs this week only. Body was saying no. Thanks for the advice and I'll start building up again next week I think.