Having finished the marathon, I am now in-between trainings.

I will be starting to train for the Mighty Niagara Half-Marathon, held in September, in a few weeks. My goal is to beat 2 hours.

The last Half I did in 2:01:10, so I feel that it is a realistic goal since I won’t be beating up my body training for a marathon.

Runners Connect

I joined an online running community called Runners Connect just a few days before the marathon. I talk about the race strategy they directed me to in my weekly newsletter. You can access the link to that here, and you can also subscribe to the list and see the back issues.

I recommend this website, as they have a lot of resources for free for the runner. You do have to give them your e-mail to join, but it is free and they send some really helpful emails!

Post-Marathon “Reverse” Taper

After the marathon, I was looking for some guidance to help me get back into a regular running schedule. I had read on some of the websites some interesting findings, that correlate injuries to post marathon running. Your body is broken down, even if you feel “good”.

I downloaded this guide from Runners Connect, which I am currently using in my Marathon Recovery…sometimes called the Reverse Taper. You are slowly getting back to a full schedule again, and if doing it on the fly isn’t how you roll this is a very helpful schedule.

(Keep in mind, I’m not sure if this link will work for you if you aren’t signed up to the website..but again, it’s FREE)

Legs are LEAD!

I found out just how tired my legs really are, the first run out! I didn’t really have any soreness in the days following the marathon, so I was really anxious to get back out there and RUN!

The first run on this plan is 2 miles, 2 days after the race.

It felt really good to run, but I could really feel how sore and have my legs were. I felt like I was truly “pounding the pavement”.

Your Body NEEDS a Break!

Studies have been done on many a marathoner, and the conclusions all point to the body breaking down at the cellular level…not to mention muscular!

If you truly want to become a better, faster runner…don’t treat the marathon like just another long run. It beat up your body and you DO need to rest it up so it can perform better in the long run!

It can be SO HARD to do other things, but this is a great time to cross train and do some swimming, easy lifting, etc.

I am excited to get back to a normal schedule in another 2 weeks and will be discussing the plan I will use to break the 2-hour half-marathon in a future post.

Meanwhile, if you are recovering from a marathon, please tell me what you are doing! Are you following a plan or coach? Are you excited and gearing up for another future race? Let me know in the comments!