Recovery time for a half marathon will depend on the individual's fitness level.
13 miles or 21.1 kilometers. Either way you say it, it's a long distance to run and it requires proper recovery for your body and mind. Luckily, recovery is easier than training for that distance; But just as important to avoid injury, mental burn-out and to get you back up to speed quickly. By employing active rest, your muscles will heal quicker and your mind will be recharged for the next big event.
Instructions
1. Sit in an ice bath or very cold water, up to your waist -- within an hour of finishing the half marathon. If the run finishes by an ocean, a cold lake or stream, wade in up to your waist. If not, buy a large bag of ice from a convenience store on the way home. Fill your bathtub with enough cold water to cover your legs, then sit in it. Pour the ice in the bath, over the area that covers your legs. Either way, spend a solid ten minutes submersed.
2. Refuel your body. Within thirty minutes post-half marathon, replace the lost glycogen in your muscles by consuming a carbohydrate/protein combination. The Hershey Center for Health and Nutrition recommends a ratio of one gram of protein for every three grams of carbohydrates consumed.
3. Rehydrate, to replace liquids lost due to sweating. Good drink choices include a smoothie, chocolate milk or a sports drink.
4. Take some rest, you've earned it. Pete Pfitzinger, Exercise Physiologist, recommends three days of rest after completing a half marathon. Rest can include non-running light activity, such as cycling or swimming, to get the blood flowing in and out of your muscles.
5. Keep your heart rate under 75 percent of it's maximum, when you do return to training, for at least two weeks post half-marathon. Running too fast, too soon will impede muscle repair.
Tags: your muscles, cold water, half marathon, your body, your legs