Are you training for a marathon? That’s awesome! But make sure you’re well prepared. Your body will take quite a beating, so proper recovery after a marathon is essential. It helps prevent injuries and allows you to improve your performance in the future.

 

In this blog post, we’ll discuss the key steps for optimal recovery — whether you’ve completed a regular marathon or the Iron Viking, the ultimate marathon challenge with over 100 obstacles!

Table of Contents

1. Directly After the Finish: Start Marathon Recovery Immediately

The final meters are behind you, the medal hangs around your neck, and you only want one thing: to sit down! Still, staying active for a little while helps your recovery after the marathon.

What you can do now:

  • Cool down: A cool down is just as important as a warm-up! Walk slowly for 10–15 minutes. This helps flush out waste products like lactic acid.
  • Hydration: Recovery after a marathon starts with rehydration! So start drinking right away. Water is good, but a sports drink with electrolytes is even better—especially after lots of sweating and salt loss.
  • Eat something light and easy to digest: Within 30–60 minutes, eat something with carbs and protein to speed up muscle recovery. Think banana with peanut butter, a protein bar, or a smoothie.

Extra tip:
Did you suffer from cramps, overheating, or stomach issues during the race? It might help to evaluate your nutrition (like magnesium or salt intake) before your next challenge.

2. The First 48 Hours: Active Recovery is Key

Your muscles have taken a beating—that’s part of it. But the faster you get your blood circulation going again, the faster your recovery after the marathon.

What helps:

  • Light activity: Take a gentle walk, a short bike ride, or do some yoga/stretching.
  • Hot or cold: Ice bath or cold shower for muscle soreness; warm shower or massage for relaxation.
  • Compression clothing: Some people experience less muscle soreness from wearing compression socks or pants.
  • Sleep: Your recovery is largely determined by your sleep quality. Put your phone away in time and give yourself proper rest.

Note:
You don’t need to force anything. Muscle soreness is normal, but sharp pain, swelling, or instability may indicate overuse or injury.

Iron Viking marathon recovery

3. Nutrition: Fuel for Recovery

After a marathon, your body is in “repair mode.” What you eat really makes a difference. We previously wrote an article on what to eat before exercising; here’s a summary for after.

Recommended nutrition:

  • Proteins (building blocks for muscle recovery): chicken, fish, eggs, plant-based alternatives, yogurt.
  • Carbohydrates (energy): whole-grain pasta, rice, oatmeal, fruit.
  • Healthy fats (anti-inflammatory): nuts, avocado, fatty fish.
  • Antioxidants (prevent muscle breakdown): blueberries, spinach, tomatoes.
  • Water and electrolytes: Keep drinking, even if you’re not thirsty.

4. Mental Recovery: Peace of Mind

After long preparation and the emotional release of race day, you might feel a bit ‘empty’. That’s normal. Give yourself space to:

  • Reflect on your performance: What went well? What would you do differently?
  • Enjoy what you’ve achieved: Truly take a moment to recognize your accomplishment — you’ve done something only a small percentage of people ever do.
  • Recover from focus and stress: Let go of your training plan for a while and allow yourself some mental rest.

Feeling a bit down?
It’s common for your mood to dip after intense physical exertion. Make time for relaxation, social connection, and give it time.

 

5. Returning to Training: When and How?

Many athletes make the mistake of training too hard too soon. But your recovery after the marathon determines how successful your future workouts will be.

Advice:

  • After a regular marathon: Wait at least 5–7 days before resuming light training sessions.
  • After the Iron Viking or similar OCR race: Give yourself 10–14 days before fully building back up.

Example training schedule:

  • Week 1: Rest, walking, slow cycling.
  • Week 2: Short jogs (20–30 min), optionally with walking breaks.
  • Week 3: Slowly return to your regular training volume — but still avoid intense intervals or long endurance runs.

Always listen to your body. If something doesn’t feel right, take more rest.

 

6. In Conclusion: Recovery is an Achievement Too

Taking the time to properly recover after a marathon isn’t a sign of weakness or laziness — it’s a key part of performing at a high level. Give yourself that recovery time, and you’ll come back stronger than ever.

 

So whether you’ve run on asphalt or through mud, with or without 100+ obstacles: you’ve done something amazing. Now it’s time to take care of yourself.

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