How to recover properly after a long outing?

When you are preparing for a half marathon or a marathon, the weekly long run will be a must to get your body used to running the kilometers. For a half marathon, the distance for a long run will be between 12 and 18 kilometers. For a marathon, the long runs will go beyond the half marathon and up to 30-35 kilometers. These runs are demanding on the body and it is essential to recover well after each of these long sessions. Recovery in the broad sense covers the restocking of glycogen reserves, rehydration, rebalancing (electrolytes, antioxidants, etc.), repair of muscle fibers and rest.

To help you recover properly after a long outing, here are 10 tips to put into practice before, during and after each long outing:

1. Adjust the timing of your long run to the weather

Our first piece of advice is to take the weather into account when planning your long runs. Excessive temperatures and high humidity levels are of course to be avoided. This may require, especially in summer, starting in the cool before the day becomes too hot and humid. If the outdoor conditions are difficult with potentially strong winds, risks of thunderstorms or heavy rainfall or even high levels of pollution, it is better to give up or run on a treadmill if you have the possibility. It is not very exciting to run 20 or 25 kilometers on a treadmill, but if it is safer than running outdoors, it can be a forced fallback solution.

2. Hydrate during and after the long ride with electrolytes

Staying hydrated during and after your long run is absolutely necessary. Without adequate hydration, it is simply not possible to perform. Deficient hydration will lead to a significant drop in pace, potentially the onset of cramps and an increase in heart rate. The 'machine' will quickly stall and performance will suffer almost immediately.

Why drink electrolyte drinks? Electrolytes such as calcium, sodium, potassium or magnesium play several key roles including maintaining the body's PH balance and promoting water absorption in the body. It is therefore important to replace the electrolytes we lose during exercise.

Long runs are also ideal sessions for testing gels, isotonic drinks or other foods such as bars, dried fruits, etc. with the aim of avoiding any gastric problems on race day by choosing drinks or foods that you tolerate well.

3. Change into dry clothes as soon as your long ride is over.

This may seem trivial, but as soon as you have finished your long outing, it is important not to stay with wet clothes, full of sweat especially if the weather is mixed and the temperature rather low. Putting on dry clothes and covering yourself as soon as the long outing is over is a simple precaution to avoid catching a cold and it is also a welcome touch of comfort after several hours of continuous effort.

4. Eat carbohydrates and protein right after the long run

Right after the race, there is a window of one or two hours that is favorable to the rapid replenishment of glycogen reserves. It is therefore advisable to ingest carbohydrates ideally within the hour following the end of your long run. A simple way to calculate the minimum necessary intake is to plan for 1g per kilo and per hour of running. For a runner who weighs 70 kg and who has completed a long run of 2 hours, it is therefore recommended just after the long run to ingest at least 140g of carbohydrates (70 x 1 x 2) with for example rice or pasta. A protein intake of around 20g will also be beneficial for the reconstruction of muscle fibers.

5. Incorporate antioxidants into your diet in a balanced way

Prolonged physical effort will create oxidative stress. To counteract this oxidative stress, it is important to take care of the intake of antioxidants with a varied and balanced diet including fruits and vegetables, rich in polyphenols such as red fruits, citrus fruits, or for vegetables the famous Brussels sprouts or artichokes. Drinking tea is also recommended for a balanced intake of polyphenols.

6. Apply a foam roller to your calves and thighs

Hard foam rollers promote blood circulation and help eliminate toxins accumulated in the muscles, especially during long rides. After the long ride or the next day, you can use the foam rollers on your calves and thighs (front and back: quadriceps and hamstrings). This promotes recovery by reducing tension points.

7. Recover and schedule a stretching session the day after the long ride

The day after the long run is the ideal day to recover and plan a stretching session or yoga session. This involves performing gentle stretches to reduce muscle soreness and stiffness. An effective stretching session will improve blood circulation and therefore recovery and will help maintain a good level of muscle flexibility. The main muscle groups to stretch are the calves, quadriceps, hamstrings and lower back muscles.

8. Gradually extend the duration of long outings

The progressiveness of training is a key rule to apply to avoid the risk of overtraining that can lead to injury. It is especially important not to try to extend the distance to be covered during long outings too quickly. A simple rule to apply is to limit the extension of the distance of a long outing to a maximum of 1 or 2 kilometers from one week to the next.

9. Take care of sleep

Sleep is the foundation of recovery. A repeated lack of sleep has the direct consequence for the athlete of a reduction in their level of performance. A quick reminder of some key recommendations for quality sleep: a minimum goal of around 8 hours of sleep per day, no intense exercise and no screens one or two hours before going to bed and potentially a 15 to 20 minute nap after lunch.

10. Wear compression sleeves

Compression sleeves, especially around the calves, can improve comfort during a long run by reducing muscle vibration. When fatigue begins to set in, for example after more than an hour and a half or two hours of running, compression sleeves can give the impression or sensation that the muscles are better 'held'. Wearing compression sleeves may not lead to an improvement in performance, but they do create a feeling of greater 'muscular' comfort over time, thus helping to reduce the feeling of fatigue during the run. They can also be worn during the recovery phase.

These practical tips will help you improve your recovery after each long run. This helps prevent the build-up of fatigue that repeated long runs can generate and which could have a negative impact on the rest of your training, not only on your performance but also and above all on the pleasure you take in running.