Here I am a few days into my rest week following my first ultra (and first trail race since high school cross country). It went, you know, pretty well. If you’ve seen me interact with others after big races, you might have noticed that I am pretty adamant about the importance of taking a rest week after an “A” race…to the point of being downright grouchy about it. I think it’s important.
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Giving max effort 3 hours into my first ultra. When it's done: Time to rest. Image courtesy of @HatRun on Twitter.
Bottom Line: If you just really raced hard, your body is all sorts of damaged. That’s the point. You just put in a whole mess of training, then put it all on the line to hit your goal. Whether you crushed the PR or the race crushed you, your muscles, tendons, ligaments, and joints are all inflamed and torn up at a microscopic level. You need rest to heal, or you’re asking for a serious injury that will derail your next effort. Does everyone need a week? Depends on how much damage the race caused. A week is a pretty safe buffer, so after a marathon or longer, I recommend at least a week of rest.
Here’s a bit more of a breakdown of the rest week, based on what I’ve learned from my own experience.
- Day 1 (day after the race): You’ll be in one of 2 states based on how the race went. If it went perfectly, you’ll be riding the euphoric wave; if it was a mess, you’ll be grumpy and disappointed. Either way, your body will still be feeling decent (some tender spots here and there, but not a lot of overall full-body soreness). Your appetite will still be in “eat everything” mode, and this is OK as you are still making up for lost calories. Some elite athletes like to run a couple of miles to “flush the system,” but I’m more a fan of lower impact walking.
- Day 2: Say hello to DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness). This is always the most painful day for me, and it’s the origin of most of the well-known post-marathon coping strategies (walking downstairs backwards, anyone?). Nothing to do but keep off your feet as much as possible,
- Day 3: This is when my brain tends to transition into “what’s next?” mode. I start looking at course profiles for other upcoming races, or thinking about how to train differently to do better next time, etc. This naturally (for me, and I suspect for others) leads to the first thoughts of going for a run, but I usually still feel very sore so I can quickly dismiss them.
- Day 4: Itchy legs and habitual eating. The soreness (at least in the big muscles) tends to be much less noticeable, so the itch to run sets in. I see a lot of people start running at this point, which bugs me. Sure, the quads are feeling OK, but all the little stabilizers and connective tissue are still shot, even if you don’t feel it while sitting, standing, or walking. Resist the urge to run! Also, the eating habit will probably still be there as well. It’s time to think about focusing on eating right.
- Day 5: Feeling normal again. No more stiffness or soreness up and down the stairs, no more Charlie horses when you stand up. I like to take a long walk on this day – after 15 minutes of walking, the little tender areas that remain will be noticeable. Better to find these on a walk than on a run where they’ll turn immediately into something more serious.
- Day 6 and Day 7: I have a rule when it comes to injuries that applies to rest weeks as well. “When you feel ready, rest for 2 more days to be sure, then go ahead and start running.” So, these days are really just a safety valve, but in my mind it’s an investment worth making for longer-term success in the next training cycle.
When it’s time to get back to it, take it slow. Rushed running = rushed injuries. And please (please, please, please), take an extended rest period after you give it your all in a big race. It’s the only way you can really bring your best to the next training cycle and improve. Rest today, get after it tomorrow!