I was running a 28K trail race with 4,000 feet of elevation gain (and 4,000 feet of elevation loss) on a recent weekend. The race organizers had also staged a 50K race the day before. About a quarter through the race, I was running for a brief time with two other runners. As we were discussing the previous day’s results, one made a statement that there were a few runners who were doing both races.
While there are many athletes, like your Vert.Run coach or even you, who have run much longer distances during a single race or taken part in a multi-day event, running almost 80 kilometers over two days with a lot of elevation gain and loss is impressive.
For myself, running another 28 kilometers the day after I ran 50 kilometers is theoretically possible, if very unlikely (OK, running 50 kilometers would take a lot of work in the first place for me). The more reasonable scenario is a short walk during the day after the race, along with a lot of hydration and rest.
Which brings up the question, how long should you or any runner give your body and mind to recover after a high-effort race?
I know for me, after more than a dozen trail half marathons (and longer), the urge to get back on the trail does not happen right away, but I know that it will re-emerge. It’s not a feeling that sweeps over me, rather it’s an acknowledgement that I miss putting on my shoes and getting out there.
And the feeling generally re-emerges when my soreness begins to fade and my body and mind start to miss being on the trail.
In this column, I take a look at post-race recovery. It’s easy to find this information elsewhere, but I think it’s more important for you to focus on you, not what a well-meaning coach wrote on the internet.
It’s important to state that I’m not a healthcare practitioner and won’t be making any specific recommendations. Throughout the column, I do advocate for you to speak with a medical or mental health provider if you can.
Train for your next trail race with Vert.run
Whether you’re chasing a new distance or just want to feel stronger on the trails, Vert.run has training plans built by expert coaches—designed for real life.
Your Mileage Will Vary
Post-race recovery is a time to take a step back and enjoy what you’ve accomplished. Enjoy the feeling.
You’ve probably talked with fellow runners or listened to podcasts where runners and coaches discuss the idea of how long you should pause your training to recover. Sometimes the conversation starts with the idea that you should take a day off for every mile of the race, ie, essentially two weeks for a trail half.
Most of the time it seems like this idea is quickly waved off, as it seems unlikely that someone who runs, say, a 50 kilometer race is going to take a month off from running to recover.
And while coaches and fellow runners have a practical understanding of what it means to recover, it’s often a good idea to start with peer-reviewed literature, reports of studies conducted by healthcare practitioners. A search from the U.S. National LIbrary of Medicine turned up a few studies. There is this 2017 study published by researchers from Japan, who tested 11 recreational runners (five women) who ran a road marathon.
The authors reported that “[p]erceived muscle soreness increased until [three] days after the race, but there were no clear differences between the values before the race and 4 to 7 days after it. These results show that physiological capacity associated with marathon running performance is recovered within [seven] days after a marathon run.”
Anecdotally, I can confirm the report that muscle soreness continues to increase for at least three days after the race.
The runners in the study also suffered no major injuries. If you’re injured, even something minor, it’s a good idea to see your healthcare provider, if you can.
Research presented at the Association of Academic Physiatrists’ Annual Meeting in 2016 by researchers based in Northern California concluded that “[u]ltramarathon runners can expect an approximate five-to-seven-day subjective recovery post race….”
This presentation studied 72 runners from the 2015 Western States Endurance Run. No breakdown of the runners was provided. The researchers also looked at factors that impact physical recovery and a runner’s ability to return to full running speed after running an ultra.
They determined that the return to full running speed took longer than the five-to-seven day period.
I imagine you’ve discovered this also.
The key word in the quote from the presentation is “subjective.” As in, just because some runners can bounce back in less than a week, that doesn’t mean you will every time. This may be especially true when it comes to comparing elite athletes who earn qualification to Western States with runners like me who train after work to run a local weekend trail half.
Not Just Physical
You’ve done something amazing in running that race.You’ve accomplished something incredible by doing the training and taking the race on.
At this point, you also likely understand that races are not just about the physical effort. They are also about the mental work that is required. Training, making arrangements, strength training, eating right, and more all happen as part of your preparation. And then there is the race itself, where even the most low-key and enjoyable race is stressful.
This means your mind also needs to recover.
Every time I see the finish line of a race come into sight, I feel deeply emotional and grateful for everyone who has supported me during my training. I apprecIate the race organizers and especially the volunteers, without whom I might still be searching for the first aid station.
It’s somewhat overwhelming as you hear the volunteers, organizers, families, friends, and other runners clapping for you. At some level, they aren’t just clapping because you finished a race, they are clapping for the work you’ve done to get there.
However, along with that gratitude, in the immediate days after a race I often feel very spent and I’m not as engaged with things as I usually am. Particularly after my first trail half marathon, the feeling of ‘why has nothing changed after I completed this goal I had worked years towards’ was pervasive.
I didn’t feel like running or exercising for some time after that race. It was difficult to get myself excited to consider running again.
If you are having these feelings, it’s important to note that many people experience these after an accomplishment. For me, it took a little while but the feelings faded and I regained my enthusiasm for trail running, pushing myself to run again and even take on longer, more difficult races.
Again, I recommend that you talk with a healthcare or mental healthcare provider if these feelings are intense or seem to last.
Next Steps
At this point, the key things to remember include the following:
- Your body, your nervous system, and your mind need to recover
- Everybody is different and will bounce back in their own time
- Talk with a healthcare or mental care provider if your symptoms last
Post-race recovery is a time to take a step back and enjoy what you’ve accomplished. It’s a time to allow your body and mind to rest and focus on other activities.
It’s also where you can start thinking about your next goals. During training for a race, often the focus is THAT race (at least for me, a noncompetitive runner). Once you have completed that goal, you have a chance to review your training, your schedule, your diet, your equipment, and how it all went. This is a great opportunity to think beyond this week’s miles or that twinge in your hamstring. Maybe it’s a good time to talk with your Vert.Run coach to think about your long-term goals.
Taking the time to properly recharge your body and mind is a key part of thorough race training. Everyone is different – use the time in a way that works for you.
Train for your next trail race with Vert.run
Whether you’re chasing a new distance or just want to feel stronger on the trails, Vert.run has training plans built by expert coaches—designed for real life.
Tony Edwards is a writer and trail runner in Northern California. You can read his Substack on trail running here.
