The 3 Days After Your Race
Essential Strategies for the 3 Days After Your Race
Last week, I looked at the 3 days before your race and how you can best prep your body for the race.
If you missed it, head here first.
Today’s post will be about the 3 days after your race and how you can maximize that window of time so you can get back to training.
There are two main ** of races: peak races (where you are gearing all of your training towards) or non-peak races (where there should be more racing in the coming weeks or months).
If you are getting ready for your peak race, the few days after your race are YOURS! You can do almost anything that pleases you. But what you shouldn’t be doing: running.
After a peak race, enjoy yourself. Stay up late, sleep in, and allow yourself the break from “being on” while training.
Race Day:
One of the most important things you can do, especially if you have more races in your training cycle, is a cool down run after your race. This is the best way to start that recovery process.
Keep in mind that some of what I’m going to say may or may not fit your current running situation:
For higher mileage runners or runners who have more races: 2+ miles should be adequate for a cool down. For those who are racing shorter races (5k-10 milers) running a 2 mile cool down makes sense. Those that tend to have higher mileage may get more miles in on this day, but that’s your choice. I always say, when in doubt, run more on race day.
For higher mileage runners, a 3 mile cool down is possible, but so is doing a 1 mile cool down, doing some work at threshold or interval pace, and then cooling down more. After some 5k races when I was doing decent mileage, I might do a 3 mile warmup, race the 5k, jog 1/2 mile, do 4 x 800 at threshold, then cool down 1.5 more miles.
For lower mileage runners, definitely make race day your long run day. Get in a proper warmup, run your race, and if possible, at least a 10 minute cool down. Your total volume on a 5k race day can be (and should be) at least 6.5+ miles (2 mile warmup, 3 mile race, 1.5 mile cool down.
I will say, during HS we would do a 3 mile warmup, run a 5k, and then cool down 3 miles. Is that expected of you? Absolutely not. But just know that some runners are definitely doing that and much more.
For those racing a half marathon and then have more races later, you might do a 1 mile warm up, race the half, then do a half mile cool down. Something is going to be better than nothing, that’s for sure.
So now you’ve gotten your race day (and your long run day) complete, it’s time to start thinking about the future.
If you’re on your break, enjoy it. If you aren’t, then you’ll need to take care of your body so you can get back to training.
Racing is inherently hard on your body, so taking training easy for the next 3 days will help you get back to normal training faster.
The day after your race is your first time to make sure you aren’t injured or have anything preventing you from normal running.
Taking those days easy doesn’t necessarily mean NOT running. It just means taking the effort level and turning it down a bit. For those who are cooks, you’re gonna let it simmer.
This first day after your race can be anywhere from 20 minutes at a shuffle all the way up to a 6-8 mile run. Again, your weekly mileage dictates what you’re doing post-race.
Higher mileage runners can handle more volume the week after the race while lower mileage runners can benefit from a taking it easy and making sure you’re still healthy.
This is a perfect day to pre-schedule a massage or deep tissue work with a specialist. And if you can’t get in to see someone, then foam rollers, massage guns, and recovery tools are your best friends.
Two days after your race can be an off day if that’s typically when you would take one or an easy running day. It also might be a good day to get in some cross training if that’s something you are comfortable with.
Three days post-race and you should now be feeling almost back to normal. If your mileage is decent, you should be ready for some kind of workout. I like prescribing fartleks for post-race workouts because we don’t know exactly how someone is going to feel until they are out there. Fartleks allow flexibility in effort lengths which is beneficial if you don’t feel great.
For those low-mileage runners, this might be a day to get back to workouts, but keep the volume to about 75% of what you’d normally do during a workout.
Okay, so that’s what three days after a race might look like. You might need something else, but as a guide, this should help you.
Your race may be over, but recovery is important too! How do you take care of your body in the days after crossing the finish line? I’d love to hear about your post-race routine—do you focus on rest, stretching, or refueling? If you’ve got questions about my tips or need advice on speeding up recovery, drop a comment or send me a message. Let’s work together to make sure your body bounces back stronger and ready for your next challenge!
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