Recovering From Boston
To Run Boston Is One Thing—to Bounce Back Afterward Is Another.
By
Steven Palladino, DPM
of
Marathon & Beyond
Where is the problem in the following scenario? Jack meticulously plans and
completes an ambitious two-month training program aimed at producing a PR at the
greatest marathon the world has ever known, the Mecca of marathoning: Boston.
Race weekend comes, Jack runs the race, and, when it's all over, he has
accomplished his goal: a brand spanking new PR. Congratulations, Jack!
So far, so good. But what does Jack do after the race? He follows no definite
plan. For several months, he oscillates between catching colds and warding off
injuries as, caught in the postrace letdown, he apathetically tries to resume
serious training. He doesn't return to a systematic training program until four
months after the race.
If we turn the spotlight on Jack's complete marathon experience—from
premarathon through race day to postmarathon—the problem becomes clear: all too
often, runners plan their premarathon training and race-day activities in great
detail, but they fail to plan for the hours and days and weeks after the
marathon. It's almost as though, once the marathon is completed, they lose their
running focus. In this article I'll implore those headed for Boston to ask this
simple question: "What do I do after Patriot's Day?"
The Answer Is . . .
Simple: plan your postmarathon with as much care as you plan for everything
that precedes the race. Your postrace plan should include two goals: (1) prepare
for recovery without injury, and (2) set new targets for yourself.
Ultimately, a successful plan circumvents injuries during the restoration to
full training and leads you naturally to the next target. Don't slip into a
cycle of problems that impairs your return to top fitness or, even worse, sets
you into a tailspin that undermines your will to run. For a proper recovery
plan, you'll need some important building blocks: an understanding of common
postmarathon ailments and the ability to identify, manage, and prevent them. It
can also help to have an organizational template that allows you to create and
implement a successful plan.
Setting new targets for your running is nearly as important as planning for
recovery without injury. A new target may be a future event, race, or fitness
level. For example, after one Boston Marathon, a friend of mine decided to use
his marathon training as base work for master's track racing during the summer
that followed. The target should be distant enough that it doesn't conflict with
your first goal of proper recovery. However, the target should be near enough
for it to motivate you through the postmarathon blues. Although postmarathon
blues are not what most people consider injuries, they can be just as harmful;
thus, it's important to quickly set new targets to shoot for. You can do this
before the marathon, if the process doesn't distract you from your Boston goals.
If you find yourself distracted, let setting new targets wait until after the
race.
Risk Factors for Injury
While it's easy to establish new targets, it can be difficult to create a
postmarathon plan that avoids injury. To better understand how to avoid injury
after running Boston, let's first look at the potential risk factors.
Downhill Running
Aside from the climbing from mile 16 to 21, the Boston course is downhill.
Particularly after Heartbreak Hill, the race takes a rather abrupt downhill
route to Cleveland Circle. The amount of downhill running in general, and the
downhill section after Heartbreak Hill (when fatigue has already exacted a toll)
in particular can be a risk factor for developing such injuries as patellar
tendinitis, patellofemoral syndrome, illiotibial band syndrome, anterior tibial
stress syndrome, and stress fractures (among others) in the postmarathon
period.
Distance
Face it, even if you log your prerequisite long runs before the race, 26.2
miles is still a long way to run. Some runners are better prepared for the
distance than others. For those marginally prepared for the distance, racing
26.2 miles can be an additional risk factor for postrace injuries. The muscle
fatigue resulting from running farther than you are accustomed can linger for
days, weeks, or even months. During this postrace fatigued state, you may be at
risk for many of the overuse injuries that can befall a runner.
Intensity
A well-prepared runner out to enjoy the Boston Marathon experience while
cruising well within his or her capacity will nevertheless stress his or her
system to some degree. However, the cumulative lower extremity stresses absorbed
by runners really pressing their limits can be exponentially greater. On the one
hand, "bonking" and pressing on is one example of pressing one's limits. On the
other hand, screaming to a new PR can equally stress one's limits. Completing
such an intense effort can predispose you to postrace recovery problems.
