I attempted to run 26.2 miles recently, and it didn’t go so well. The soreness was as if I ran the marathon hard. So if you’re a person who is trying to figure out how to recover from a hard event similar to this, let me explain how.

The mistake I made was complete rest. And it’s hard not to because of how sore my quads were. The first marathon I ran made any incline or decline impossible. Let me tell you that just walking or biking for 20-30 minutes can dramatically decrease recovery time. Any type of movement that increases blood flow will help replenish the damaged area with nutrients while removing waste.

Eating a sufficient amount of protein will help you rebuild your muscles. Eating anywhere from .6 to 1.0 g/pound of body weight will do the job. It can be sourced from meat, legumes, etc. It’s important to provide the body with the building blocks for muscle recovery & growth.

Expect soreness to last anywhere from 1-4 days following an extreme event like a marathon. Combining movement with the right amounts of nutrients will help you recovery faster. But also know that despite soreness being gone the body may still be recovering without any signs or symptoms. Return to activity with caution.