Having the marathon blues is such a real emotional feeling in all of us runners.. but it is BEYOND important to take adequate rest after a marathon. Here is WHY you need to "reverse taper" post-marathon.
Ive had a lot of people ask what my plans are now that the Dallas Marathon is over. I touched briefly via Instagram on how "longevity" in a running career depends highly on recovery time.
But here is a little more of a breakdown:
*Always keep in mind you already have an aerobic base from marathon training the past few months!*
Post Marathon Reverse Taper:
Week 1: NO running! Yall seriously.. no running. Don't do it. You will NOT lose your aerobic base and fitness by taking a week (or more) off after you finish your marathon.
Week 2: Depending on your body you may need extra rest time. If you are feeling good, this is where you begin to introduce the "reverse taper" by slowly adding in easy mileage. EASY MILEAGE. (My first run back was 8 day PM and was 2 mile sat a 10:14 pace)
Week 3-4: Add Fartleks, repeats, etc. Low volume - moderate intensity. (low mileage compared to your marathon training for sure)
Week 5-6: You should be feeling fully recovered by now! Focus on fine tuning speed & shorter distances. YAAY FOR SPEED!!!
400 m, 800 m, etc repeats. Test those lungs! Feel the burn! Work on consistency of times and not about negative splitting every single rep.
Now is the perfect time to sign up for some 5k, 10k, etc races and snag some PRs!
Shorter distance races will be such a breathe of fresh air for not only your body but your mind!
With that being said...
I am 4 weeks PM and just finished my reverse taper & am starting some fartlek workouts! Honestly, this is such a nice change of pace (literally and figuratively).
I have my sights on the Dallas Hot Chocolate 15k in Feb because I have to defend my age group title for year 2! This is a tough challenge because the girl who finished 2nd is a STELLAR runner and I will have to be on my A game. But whatever happens happens.. This is all for fun anyway right?
Ive had a lot of people ask what my plans are now that the Dallas Marathon is over. I touched briefly via Instagram on how "longevity" in a running career depends highly on recovery time.
But here is a little more of a breakdown:
*Always keep in mind you already have an aerobic base from marathon training the past few months!*
Post Marathon Reverse Taper:
Week 1: NO running! Yall seriously.. no running. Don't do it. You will NOT lose your aerobic base and fitness by taking a week (or more) off after you finish your marathon.
Week 2: Depending on your body you may need extra rest time. If you are feeling good, this is where you begin to introduce the "reverse taper" by slowly adding in easy mileage. EASY MILEAGE. (My first run back was 8 day PM and was 2 mile sat a 10:14 pace)
Week 3-4: Add Fartleks, repeats, etc. Low volume - moderate intensity. (low mileage compared to your marathon training for sure)
Week 5-6: You should be feeling fully recovered by now! Focus on fine tuning speed & shorter distances. YAAY FOR SPEED!!!
400 m, 800 m, etc repeats. Test those lungs! Feel the burn! Work on consistency of times and not about negative splitting every single rep.
Now is the perfect time to sign up for some 5k, 10k, etc races and snag some PRs!
Shorter distance races will be such a breathe of fresh air for not only your body but your mind!
With that being said...
I am 4 weeks PM and just finished my reverse taper & am starting some fartlek workouts! Honestly, this is such a nice change of pace (literally and figuratively).
I have my sights on the Dallas Hot Chocolate 15k in Feb because I have to defend my age group title for year 2! This is a tough challenge because the girl who finished 2nd is a STELLAR runner and I will have to be on my A game. But whatever happens happens.. This is all for fun anyway right?
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