So You've Run A Marathon - Now Do THIS!
So you've run a marathon, and now you're thinking, what next?
You might have crossed the line and said, never again.
Or you might be eager to find your next running challenge.
Whatever it is, Anna and I, along with Decathlon, are here to help you decide.
So keep watching
for all the tips on what to do now, what you might want to plan to do in the future and
some ideas of some fun activities that you can try that will complement
you're running. First though please do hit subscribe and tap on that bell icon.
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If, like Sarah and I, you've just completed an autumn marathon,
the last thing you might be thinking about right now is more running, and that's totally
sensible.
The first thing to focus on post marathon is recovery.
Yeah, you're focus for the last few months has been crossing that finish line, and you just put
your body through the ringer covering that 26 2 miles, not to mention
the hundreds of miles in training.
Treat the recovery the same way as you did the training.
It is just as important.
If you try getting back to pre race training too soon and try and push too early,
you risk injury.
If you can, get yourself a proper sports massage.
The sooner you can do this, the better you can ease your weary legs into recovery.
And if you can't get seen by a professional self, massage can be a pretty good
alternative.
Use things like a foam roller, massage ball or massage gun to
warm up the muscle fibres and improve your blood flow and circulation.
Consider taking a week or even two off running entirely.
This might sound like a form of torture to some of you, but if you look at the elites who raced over
marathon distances, that's exactly what they do.
You've got nothing to gain by going back out too soon and everything to lose.
It's an injury waiting to happen.
If you do want some activity in your life, try something lower impact, like yoga or swimming
a bike ride if you must.
But don't feel guilty about not doing any exercise.
If you don't feel like it or your body is not ready and get some good sleep.
It's free, after all, and it does wonders for your body's recovery.
Your body repairs itself as you snooze, so don't scrimp
when you feel recovered from your marathon.
Entering a shorter distance race could reap a new PB.
If you've been training consistently throughout your marathon training block, you'll probably be
at the fittest that you've been for a while, maybe even ever.
And it doesn't have to be an organised race.
It could be a new park from PB you're after.
Whatever the goal, just make sure you give yourself enough time to recover properly
and turn the legs over again when you're ready to run again.
Yeah, and you don't even have to get straight back on the racing waggon again.
You can give yourself a bit of time between events and book a race in a few months time.
For example, having a new goal to aim towards that isn't as time consuming
as training for a marathon can keep you motivated with your running without the
overwhelming volume of marathon miles,
can you remember when you crossed that marathon finish line?
Did you say never again Why are you
keen to get signed up for another one immediately?
Well, whichever side of the fence you fall, or maybe you're sat on it at the moment, it's
totally normal to experience the post marathon blues.
You've spent months training for your marathon, talking about your marathon and preparing for it.
And then once it's over, it can take some time to readjust.
Just knowing that the Post Marathon Blues could be coming can help you beat them.
Your plan for another marathon.
It may depend on how you performed in your first race.
If you didn't quite hit the goal that you wanted to, you might be looking to go back and give it another
bash.
I really wanted to run under four hours at my first marathon, but came in in four hours and
seven minutes.
So Q three more marathons to finally get the time that I wanted.
Once you decided.
If you're signing up for another marathon, reflect on the prep for your first
one.
What went well, what could you have done?
Better use your experience of the first marathon to give yourself a better shot
at hitting your goal if you hit your goal in your last marathon and have a think about what you want to
achieve in the next one and how you're going to tackle your training this time to be in the
best possible shape to do it.
You might even want to splash out on some new kit to give yourself a bit of a boost of motivation
to start your marathon training journey again.
Just think about the timing of your next race.
It's not entirely sensible to get signed up to another one weeks after you've just run
a marathon.
Now, generally speaking shouldn't really run more than two marathons in a year.
So wait 4 to 6 months before tackling the distance again.
Trail running can be a totally different experience to the months that you've spent pounding the
pavements.
Training for your marathon.
If you run an autumn marathon, then getting out on the trails at this time of year can be a lot
of fun.
Here in the Northern Hemisphere, it's getting colder, wetter and muddier
all great ingredients.
For a tasty trail run, get yourself some good trail kit, a running jackets, some trail shoes
with grip and a running pack to stash some water and snacks and take yourself
off out to explore on the trails.
It's so beautiful, especially this time of the year, as the leaves change colour and the
landscape looks autumnal or wintry.
Make sure you leave your pace expectations at home when you head for the trails.
The weather, terrain and undulations mean you're bound to take things a
little bit slower, and that's fine.
The whole point of trying trail running is doing something different from road running.
So take your time and take everything in around you.
You could even download the running channels scavenger hunt
list from our website and try and find everything on it to find some good trails
near you.
Try using an OS maps, travel Route planner or courses on Garmin Connect.
You could also run with someone else who knows the trail or look for a running group who will be able to
guide you.
It can be quite easy to get lost in new places, So if you're on your own, make sure
you let someone know where you're going and consider using some form of GPS tracking
something like straw of a beacon.
Garmin live track whats app, live location, something like that.
So they can easily see where you are
in the same way that a five K can lead to a 10-K, which can lead to a half marathon and then a full
marathon.
The next logical step after a marathon is an ultra right.
That's any race that's longer than 26.2 miles long.
Let's face it, you've got the confidence you can cover the distance you built a base of miles in
training.
So why not go further?
With the boom in popularity of ultra running, you won't be short of race options to sign up to.
There are a whole host of different types of ultra runs that you can do so trail track,
multi day whatever you fancy.
Really.
The main difference between shorter race distances and ultras is the time you spend on your
feet.
This can impact several things, including hydration, nutrition and blister
management.
Being out for longer means that you may need to be a little bit more self sufficient.
Investing in a running hydration packs a really good place to start so that you can carry water in
soft flasks and have plenty of room for snacks and a basic first aid kit to bring along with
you, too.
If you want more tips on how to step up from a marathon to an ultra, then make sure you
check out our full video here on the running channel.
And if another race isn't your bag at this stage, that's totally fine.
You might want to consider running an F K T instead the fastest known time.
There are a whole host of running routes on the fastest known time website to choose from.
And if the one that you want to run isn't on there, you can submit it yourself.
It might be that shock horror.
You've had enough of running for a while after running your first marathon.
And although we are the running channel, that is totally okay.
Trying a different sport to change things up is a good way to keep your fitness
up and also keep it interesting.
How about giving cycling ago?
Just like running?
There are lots of different types of cycling that you can get into road cycling, mountain
biking, BMX sing or even gravel riding, and it's a great excuse to treat yourself to
some new kit.
Just beware the helmets.
They've got shelf life.
So it's better to be safe and sorry and buy yourself a new one instead of reaching for that old one hanging
in the garage and cycling something really good for me.
Lower impact on your body than running.
So you can pretty much dive straight into it off the back of the marathon, absolutely, and another
low impact sport that you could get into a swimming.
This is something that I've used is cross training alongside my running for a few years now, and if you
can't swim, it's never too late to learn.
There's pool, swimming and open water swimming.
So if you're not used to swimming, then your local pool is probably the best place to start.
All you need is a swimsuit or trunks and probably a pair of goggles.
Open water swimming can be a bit trickier to start, but there's a guide on the decathlon
website, which we've linked to in the description of this video.
If you're planning on swimming in lakes, reservoirs or the Open C, if you
are keen to get into cycling and swimming, then perhaps combining all three disciplines and
trying to triathlon may be the best fit for your next challenge.
Post marathon.
You don't have to go all in at the top end of the triathlon scale and go for an Ironman.
A sprint triathlon is a 750 metre swim, a 20 kilometre
bike ride and a five K run.
And there are options to do in a poor instead of open water.
Swimming if you prefer.
Hiking is another activity that's easy to get into.
If you're a runner, it uses different muscles and is less taxing on the joints than running
on pavement.
So another great low impact alternatives are final.
Suggestion for something new to try is yoga or Pilates.
Not only will they help with your flexibility and strength when it comes to running,
but they're also a great way to practise mindfulness and breathing.
There are many different styles of yoga, such as ashtanga, vinyasa, Bikram and rocket,
and some styles are more vigorous than others.
While some may have a different area of emphasis, such as posture or breathing, no
style is necessarily better than the other, though, but it is best to choose a
class appropriate for your fitness level.
There are loads of videos to help you get started on YouTube, or you could look for a class local to
