How to train in the weeks after a marathon

Keep on running after the marathon

So, after months and months of hard work and fitness training, you've managed to successfully complete a marathon. So what now? It's important not to let all your hard work go to waste and maintaining a healthy body does not have to be such a chore. Here's our guide to continuing running after months of marathon training...

Now the big day is over what should you do next? The first thing is to stop and recover; you will need to have a very easy time for at least a few days. Your legs will probably feel very tired and stiff and you will undoubtedly not feel like going out for another run for a while. This is normal, as the body has undergone a major test of endurance and needs time to rest and recover.

Muscle biopsies of runners taken immediately after a marathon have revealed that more than half of them have miniscule muscle cell damage. The other unwelcome news is that for about a month the immune system is depressed and the marathoner is a candidate for all types of infections. Therefore, you should really try to increase your vitamin C and zinc intake.

Opinions on how long a rest to take differ. Professor Tim Noakes, the author of ‘Lore of Running’, suggests no training for a month. However, runners can only go five days without training before endurance begins to decline (the rate of decline is rapid and can be measured by taking the pulse first thing in the morning before rising and again at rest mid-day). There’s not much point losing all that accumulated endurance by having a month off and virtually starting from scratch again and risking injury.

So, if you can muster the enthusiasm, the best thing you can do is go for a nice easy walk each day, for a couple of days. This will help your legs to recover faster and you will feel better for it. There is no need to go for miles and miles, but a nice steady 15 to 20 minute walk round the shops or just down the road will pay dividends in the long term.

Your endurance levels are now at their highest and you should capitalise on this, as you have worked hard to get to where you are now. The good news is that it is easier to keep your fitness level than start afresh from scratch. By cutting back on the miles and running at a faster pace it is possible to keep the fitness level right up there.

If you ran four times a week before the marathon then by cutting back to two or three times a week you can maintain your level of fitness with minimal effort. This will enable you to focus and plan your next race, as you already know that you are fit and ready for another challenge.

Planning the next race is important as it gives you a goal to aim for and another exciting challenge.