PrepaRing for a SUCCESSFUL marAthon

Training for a marathon is a huge endeavor. It requires time, dedication and grit to incorporate the running volume needed for your cardiovascular system to adapt to the challenges of 26.2 miles. While most runners prioritize running, many don't pay attention to recovery until after they develop a nagging ache or pain. 

Running stresses the body's muscles and circulatory system. At high volumes, the repetitive movements in running cause accumulated stress which can lead to microtrauma in your working muscles and chronically raised cortisol. If you aren't recovering properly, microtraumas build and cortisol never returns to resting levels, which can result in decreased immune function, fatigue and injury. 

Recovery is essential for allowing muscles, including the heart, to recover and maintaining proper cortisol levels. There are many ways that runners can incorporate recovery into their routine.

Prioritize quality sleep and nutrition

High-quality sleep and nutrition are extremely important for your body to rebuild and recover after activity. Sleep is how your body repairs, regulates hormones, including growth hormone and cortisol, and rebuilds muscle tissue. It is generally recommended to get 7-9 hours a night but individuals in heavy or intense training blocks may need more.

When training, it is important to eat enough to not only cover your energy costs but also to rebuild any tissue that may have micro-trauma. Prioritize whole food nutrition with a rainbow of color to ensure you are eating appropriate amounts of protein, for muscle recovery, carbohydrates, for energy, and fats, for hormonal balance.

Incorporate recovery into your training plan

Rest days and tapers are two ways runners can manipulate their training schedule and running volume to improve recovery and sustain performance. A rest day involves taking a break from physical activity to allow the body to process stress and recovery more effectively. While the frequency of rest days an individual may need varies based on preference, individual tolerance and injury status, the general rule of thumb is at least one day per week. 

While rest days are important to include regularly in your training, a taper is a gradual decrease in volume 1-2 weeks before a race while maintaining high intensity workouts. Tapering allows your body to stay primed for competition without the stress of high volume mileage. Like rest days, tapering strategies vary based on personal preference but experts typically recommend decreasing mileage 40-60% total over the course of a taper to prepare for a race. 

Don't forget active recovery and stretching

Active recovery and stretching are often undervalued compared to higher intensity parts of a training plan, but both of these are critical for stimulating and speeding up muscle repair. Active recovery is low intensity cardio, including walking, jogging, swimming or cycling, meant to get your blood and lymph circulating to turn out cellular waste and speed recovery after intense exercise. Just 20-30 minutes of active recovery can reduce muscle soreness so you are fresh for your next workout. 

Stretching allows the muscles we use during exercise to relax, restoring muscle length and reducing stiffness and soreness post-workout. Even five minutes of stretching a day can have significant benefits, just make sure you save static stretching for after your workout, not before. 

Be proactive about injuries

Nagging aches and pains often develop late in training, not because runners aren't motivated or in shape, but because their muscles aren't ready for the repetitive demands of their peak training volume. At high intensity or high volume, subtle weak spots in the kinetic chain become more pronounced as they are overloaded, which can lead to injury. The solution: tackle your weak spots proactively. 

1. Get a professional assessment

A comprehensive biomechanical and running assessment can highlight energy leaks and inefficiencies in gait, load distribution and cadence that may affect training down the road. Running requires balance, lateral stability and good pelvic and core control to hold proper form through fatigue. If any of these components are missing, it can increase risk of injury. By identifying and targeting weak spots early, runners can start to build up their weaknesses so that, when at their highest volume, these spots don't become a breaking point for training. 

2. Make time for injury prevention

Many runners prioritize running volume at the expense of strength training, stating that they don't have time to balance both high volume running with gym time. But gym time isn't a luxury; the time you spend working your muscles can keep you healthy. Injury prevention is not about doing more, it's about doing the right things so your body can handle training loads. Even 2 days a week of strength training can help tendons and muscles stay strong enough to store and release energy more efficiently, so you are running at your best. 

3. View recovery as a habit

Recovery isn't a one-time soft tissue visit or getting good sleep on the weekends. It is mindset shift to include little habits daily and weekly that stack up to make your training more effective. The earlier you view recovery as a non-negotiable in your training, the better you will be able to anticipate challenges and tackle them before they sideline you. 

Train smarter, not harder

FIXXED is not just another clinic—we're your partner in health. Our FIXXED Marathon Prep Pack is a performance-based support program for runners training through high mileage, increased intensity, and long training cycles. We include a full running and movement assessment, individualized strength, mobility and activation to support your runs and hands-on treatment each session to help you stay healthy, recover better, and continue progressing—without waiting for pain or injury to show up. 

Want to put your best foot forward? Book your marathon prep consultation today.