The London Marathon Recovery Blog
What were looking for is to get to the stage where you're feeling tired but not hobbling around like a piss head walking home from a club. Things are going to get worse before they get better. First job is to collect your kit from the kit lorry which requires a bloody long walk. You might start thinking things are not so bad now, but the big surprises comes from when you sit down to get changed and try to get up again!
First stage of recovery - get those racers & socks off. Assess the damage to the feet - blisters, chaffing, blood, black toe nails. It's never pretty.
Put on some compression tights. The science of these for running (calf guards etc.) is bollocks. Tights though (tighter the better) will keep your legs warm and that encourages blood flow to your battered muscles. It also stops them flapping about when your walking. God knows why but that does help!
Please, please, please if you are a bloke put some shorts or jeans or anything over the top. Men look complete nonce cases in tights only. You worry children and you offend me. Please stop.
Get on fresh socks, and fresh (comfortable) trainers. Your socks will be sweaty and after 26.2 miles of being pounded into the same sole, they deserve something fresh & clean.
Decamp weight. Your goody bag will be full of shit. Throw away non-essentials and lighten the load. Trust me you'll thank me for it!
Get up & get walking. Ouch, ouch, ouchy-fucking ouch. It hurts but the sooner you start getting mobile, the sooner the shit in your muscles can subside. Avoid stairs as your loading the muscles again but walking about will encourage endorphines (probably?) or whatever and stop them getting stiffer and stiffer. Well you cant sit still forever anyway even if you want to.
Roll. I use an R8 Roll Recovery roller and this year it was a god send. Quick 5 mins in the pub or on the train. Don't go mad with it but you won't be able to stretch properly (cramps).
Protein. Get some in your system. Don't be a body Nazi just eat and drink. I had a couple of pints of bitter, full fat coke & a whole chicken (extra hot) in Nandos. Enjoy, you've earned it.
Keep mobile. Don't sit still for hours on end, have a small walk about occasionally to stop your legs turning one piece mahogany.
Bath time. Get home and head straight to the bathroom. You smelly fucker you need it ;) Half fill the bath with just cold water. Get in. This is fucking horrible, I'm not going to lie. But essential. 10-15 mins cold bath. Half empty the bath after that and whack on the hot then have a nice hot bath. The cold-hot treatment will flush blood through the legs and speed up the recovery process. It will also numb the legs so you can't feel the pain anyway.
Compression tights back on, go to bed in them. Keep them nice and warm.
One last roll before bed, only 5-10 mins again.
I like to bosh down a couple of neurofen and plenty of water then sleep for as long as I can get away with.
And that is my patented recovery process. Still hurts in the morning but nowhere as bad as doing sweet FA, no recovery you'll be walking like John Wayne for a week #ouch
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