How to Recover From a Marathon in Record Time

How to Recover From a Marathon

Forgo running and try the bike after you run your marathon. Credit: Kristen Seymour

7. Stay active. Finally, take all that advice about “doing a reverse taper” and throw it out the window. Should you be a bit easier on yourself the day after a marathon? Absolutely, but don’t break all those great sweaty habits of training just yet. If you ever watch a hockey team’s post-game protocol, it usually involves some time on the stationary bikes — and that’s a great low-impact activity to incorporate into your own recovery. The elliptical is another perfect option, since it eliminates the pounding of running but also gets your legs moving. Some soreness in your day-after-the-marathon workout is to be expected, so don’t let that deter you. Just make sure that while you aim for about the same duration as your usual workouts; your intensity is down a bit and you’re not pushing it like crazy.