Introduction: Greetings, fellow runners, endurance enthusiasts, and fitness aficionados! Embarking on a journey of resilience and recovery is no small feat. Whether you’re a seasoned marathoner or someone embracing the exhilarating world of endurance sports, optimizing recovery is key to sustaining peak performance and wellbeing. In this comprehensive blog, we’ll delve into effective recovery strategies, address common questions, and dive into my own recovery journey after conquering an astounding 139.5 miles in 24 hours on a 400-meter track. Topics Discussed Throughout This Post: 1. Rest and Rejuvenation After an Ultra Marathon: • How long should you rest after an ultramarathon? • What should you do after an ultramarathon? 2. Post-Ultra Activities for Optimal Recovery: • Replenishing glycogen stores • Mobility, flexibility, and yoga to reduce post-race stiffness 3. Mind and Body: The Science of Recovery: • What happens to your body after an ultramarathon? • How do you take care of your feet after an ultramarathon? 4. Unveiling Compression Garments for Recovery: • Benefits, science, and personal experiences 5. Nutrition and Hydration for a Powerful Comeback: • Protein and high-fiber carbs: Your allies in recovery My Personal Recovery Journey: Imagine circling a 400-meter track for an uninterrupted 24 hours, covering 139.5 miles. That’s the extraordinary feat I undertook in a recent 24-hour ultra marathon. As exhilarating as it was, recovery became the next challenge – my muscles yearned for relief, my body begged for restoration, and my mind craved rejuvenation. I’ll go into that in a bit more detail below, warts and all, but first I think it would be good to answer some common questions that people have when they set their eyes in the recovery phase of their ultra marathon training. Commonly Asked Questions – Addressed: Let’s address the commonly asked questions that runners and endurance enthusiasts often seek answers to: 1. How long should you rest after an ultramarathon? Much like tapering (ultradan87.weebly.com/blog/mastering-tapering-for-peak-endurance-performance), this really is very individual. The length of rest you need is primarily determined by the length of the race you have undertaken. For a 3k, you’ll probably be ok in 2/3 days, for a marathon it might take 2 weeks, and for a 100 mile ultra, it might take longer than that. The intensity will also play a part. If you’ve run a PB, or you’ve had your first attempt at a longer distance, you’ll need longer because your body has just done something it has never done before. But I’d the intensity is light, you’ll get away with a shorter recovery. The terrain will play a part with hills and trails taking more out you than the springy tartan track. And your level of fitness will also play a part. If you’re used to training hard 3 times a week, a race won’t feel that much extra compared to if you only trained hard once a week, and your recovery will be much shorter. 2. What should you do after an ultramarathon? After an ultra marathon your muscles have lots of micro tears that need repairing and inflammation that you need to get rid of. This will manifest itself as muscle soreness. Rest is obviously a key part of recovery and sleep is one of your fiercest allies in this period. Eating high fibre foods and good quality protein will help restore energy levels and promote muscle repair. Inflammation can be handled with light activities such as walking, cycling, swimming, or cross training to slightly raise your heart rate. Certain nutritional strategies such as drinking turmeric can also help with reducing inflammation but this needs to be something you do on a regular basis in order to reap the benefits. And of course, stretching can help get some movement back into those tired legs. If you’ve had a particularly difficult race, you might want to focus on mental recovery by practicing mindfulness and chanellling your positive thoughts. I’ve covered these strategies and more in a feature length YouTube video that you can watch at the bottom of this page. 3. What happens to your body after an ultramarathon? When the miles are all done and you’ve reached the finish line, your body is in need of repair. Micro tears proliferate your muscles, inflammation surrounds them, the brain fog sets in, and your energy levels are at an all time low. The inflammation in particular is your body’s way of trying to repair itself. It’s good that it’s there but you want to do the right things to gradually reduce it and repair your body in the right way. You may have had a psychological battle with yourself to get the race done and this will cause mental fatigue that you can combat with meditation and mindfulness. Remember, ultra endurance is as much a mental battle as it is a physical one. 4. How do you take care of your feet after an ultramarathon? Your feet are your superhero’s when it comes to running an ultra marathon. They take the brunt of the battering that your body gets and they can be in some kind of state at the finish line! Finding a comfortable pair of shoes that works well for you on the terrain you run on will go a long way towards taking care of your feet. Changing socks (if you have time) when they get wet can be a life saver to prevent you getting blisters that can impair your waking for days. But one key thing you can do to take care of your feet after an ultra marathon is to practice a year round approach to foot health. Moisturise your feet every night to keep the skin healthy and prevent those painful blisters and pressure sores. Unlocking Recovery Strategies: Discover a range of recovery strategies, from the importance of rest and nutrition to the power of compression garments and the magic of mindfulness. Learn how these strategies intertwine, creating a holistic approach to help you recover with precision and purpose. I’ve provided all this important information and more in a feature length YouTube video all about recovering from an ultra marathon. Check it out at the bottom of this page. Empowerment Through Personal Experience: Transitioning from theory to practice, I invite you into the heart of my own recovery journey after 24-hours running in a 400 m ultra marathon bubble: • Immediate Aftermath: The exhaustion hit me. I fell asleep mid-meal with my body yearning for rest. The lack of sleep and glycogen depletion hit me and my body shifted gears into recovery mode. • Day 1: The muscle soreness was heavy in my quads and a troublesome blister (that I had been running on from around hour 4 during the 24 hour race) created challenges in moving after a grueling race. I still managed a full day in work! • Day 2: I tested the waters with a walk and tried a gentle jog. My legs felt like lead and there was nothing in them at all. Happy to get moving again and realising that recovery is a process. • Day 3: Gradual progress. I managed a short 10 min jog in the morning, and a 3-mile run in the afternoon. The pace wasn’t great, going through 5k in 28:50!! The struggle to regain energy in my legs was becoming real.. • Day 4: Persistent efforts. I managed a double session, running 4 miles in the morning and 4 miles in the afternoon, overcoming blister pain, but my legs still were feeling like lead. Nothing in them at all. A very strange feeling. • Day 5: Slow but steady. I got out for a 5-mile run in the morning and the nervy levels were starting to return. The blister was starting to heal and I’d found a way to run with it. • Day 6: Triumph and progress. A steady a 10km run and I had a feeling of the legs regaining strength. I managed to run at 6:55/mile for parts which was a glimpse of normalcy, but still some time to go until I’m back to normal! Yoga, nutrition, compression garments, and turmeric tea played pivotal roles in this journey, helping alleviate muscle inflammation and restore energy. My high fibre, low sugar/processed foods diet has been key to restoring my energy levels. Other than the immediate aftermath, missing a days worth of sleep hasn’t been a problem at all during the recovery and I’ve been able to live my normal life (aside from running 100 miles a week), spending time with my family and performing to my usual standard at work. My year round approach to good nutrition and healthy eating has been instrumental in making the recovery process what it has been. Soreness and fatigue are to be expected as this was the furthest I have ever run and my first ever attempt at 24 hours. I’m optimistic about next week and will try and push to 100 miles again and get back on the road to racing again…only a few weeks until the next one!! Conclusion and Call to Action: As we conclude this enriching journey of recovery, I invite you to take the next step. Watch my feature-length YouTube video that complements this article, offering even more insights, tips, and my own experiences following my gruelling experience running 139.5 miles in 24 hours in a 400 m bubble. Join the tribe – share your thoughts in the comments, and spread the word by sharing this article with fellow endurance enthusiasts. The pursuit of excellence continues, and together, we thrive. Stay strong, stay resilient, and keep conquering every challenge that comes your way. 🚀💪
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