Chloe Hamard - Blogger

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Half-marathon recovery tips | How to recover after a long run

Chloe Hamard

Have you just run or raced a half-marathon? Congrats! Now the focus is on the post-run recovery. Here are some tips to recover as efficiently as possible in the 24h period following your half-marathon.

Half-marathon recovery tips : when you’ve just finished

Don’t sit down just yet

I know it’s very tempting to sit down (or lie down) just after you’ve crossed the finish line or finished your Sunday long run, but it is actually strongly recommended to walk and keep your legs moving - if you can.

This will help flush out the lactic acid that built up in your legs and reduce the soreness the next few days.

If you raced and ran hard, I would suggest doing a very easy cool down jog. Even if it’s just 1km, it will tremendously help.

If you have time, try to do some static stretches to stretch the quads, hamstrings and calves.

Refuel

Some people can’t quite stomach anything just after a run. If food doesn’t appeal to you as soon as you finish, you can opt for a protein shake or a running recovery drink such as the Science in Sport Rego Rapid Recovery Mix.

You could also try to have a few bites of flapjack or solid recovery bar, such as the Maurten Solid bars.

Once you’ve found your appetite again, have a proper meal.

Replenish your electrolyte stores

If it’s warm, I would suggest sipping on an electrolyte drink during your race. If you didn’t, it’s even more important to replenish the stores once you finished your run. If you’ve had a recovery drink, it most likely contains electrolytes so you’ve killed two birds in one stone.

I personally have a flapjack for energy refuel and one of these Science in Sport Go Hydro Tablets for electrolytes.

Half-marathon recovery tips : a couple hours later

Relax your muscles

If you have a massage gun and/or a foam roller, it’s time to use them and release muscular tensions. This will help your legs feel better straight away and will also prevent soreness in the next few hours.

Need a foam roller? Here are some suggestions:

Want to buy a massage gun? Check these out.

Rest

As much as moving your legs just after the race is important, a few hours later it is time to rest. If possible, don’t make any plans after your race, so you can go home and lie on the sofa in the afternoon.

Take a bath

Another great recovery tip is to get in the bath and use Epsom bath salts to help relieve muscle tensions and fully relax.

Half-marathon recovery tips : the day after

The more experienced you become, the easier recovering from a half-marathon will get, as your body will be used to running this distance.

But if you’re not a seasoned half-marathoner yet, you may want to take it easy the day after. Easy take a full rest day or go for a short recovery run, at a very easy pace.

Listen to your body and give yourself time to recover by prioritising stretching, resting and refuelling in the next few days.

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