Distance runners - Question about recovery

[Mursilis]

I've read a few different places that post-marathon recovery takes several weeks, but that doesn't seem to make sense to me. Sure, if you're at an elite level and you've put in 60-70 mile or more weeks in training and you finished with a top 10% time for your age group, I can see being pretty depleted, but for the average recreational runner, does recovery really take 3-4 weeks or more? I just finished my first full marathon using Hal Higdon's Intermediate training plan (most weeks between 30-40 miles), and my time (3:56) was respectable but not close to elite level. Three days later, I feel pretty good. I'm going to do my first post-race run tonight for ~5 miles or so, but I can't imagine I'm so drained that I can't do my usual pace for that distance. Thoughts from those of you who've been doing this a while?

 

[Megatomic]

No. I ran well less than a week after my last 50 mile race and it was a ball buster. Run as you feel fit to.

 

[Capt Caveman]

After my last marathon, I felt fine just a few days afterwards and ran a half-marathon strong two weeks later. I think it really comes down to the weekly mileage you're putting.

 

[episodic]

I'm not where you guys are 'yet' - but after a 10 miler (trail race). I needed around 4 days to be 100% again. I 'think' it depends how hard you push the race. I pushed 'hard'.

 

[Mursilis]

I'm not where you guys are 'yet' - but after a 10 miler (trail race). I needed around 4 days to be 100% again. I 'think' it depends how hard you push the race. I pushed 'hard'.

I'm intensely competitive, and I push hard on races too. But I also recognize that a "hard" effort for a recreational runner is nothing like a "hard" effort for an elite athlete - that's a whole different world of effort and pain, and probably takes much longer to recover from than whatever weekend races Joe and Jane Public are doing. I'd be interested in hearing the thoughts on recovery from someone like Scorch, who's around the elite amateur level. I suspect that because his effort is so much greater, so is his recovery time.

 

[PricklyPete]

I don't prescribe to "methods". Sure they can be informational, but much more important is to listen to your body. I stopped pushing through undo pain long ago and instead of hurting my running, if has only improved. Listen to your body. Test the waters when needed and back down if your body tells you it is not ready.

 

[SWScorch]

It's all personal. I find that it takes 2-3 weeks to feel completely recovered from a marathon, but I can usually run without any pain a week or so later. My friend was running 5:30 pace two days after his first marathon (which he won, the jerk) with no pain. Just make sure to listen to your body and don't overdo it. If you feel good, run. If you feel like you need another few days off to recover, do it.