Inspect: /training-programs/post-marathon-recovery/novice-post-marathon/

Source: src/content/training-plans/novice-post-marathon.md

Frontmatter

title: Novice
hub: post-marathon-recovery
summary: Recovery after a marathon should begin almost the minute you exit the
  finish chute. This 5-week post-marathon training program is designed to help
  Novice runners heal your wounds and recover as rapidly as possible so you can
  move on to new goals.
atAGlance:
  author: Hal Higdon
  lengthWeeks: 5
  lengthText: 5 Weeks
  typicalWeek: 2 Day Off, 4 Run, 1 X-Train
  longestWorkout: 60 minutes
whatDoIGet:
  - Recover from your last marathon with daily tips from Hal in your inbox
  - Monitor your progress within TrainingPeaks’ online tools, apps, and wearable
    integrations
  - Access charts and graphs to understand training load
  - Tap into TrainingPeaks experience
trainingPeaksUrl: https://www.trainingpeaks.com/training-plans/running/marathon/tp-4341/hal-higdon-post-marathon-recovery-novice
improveYourTime: >-
  ## How to Improve Your 5-K Times


  IF YOU HAVE RUN A NUMBER OF RACES AT THE 5-K DISTANCE, you probably are not
  going to be content to merely finish your 5-K race. You'd like to finish it
  with grace, in style and maybe improve your time (known as setting a Personal
  Record, or PR). The above training schedule will take you to PR Territory.
  This intermediate Program is one step up from the novice program, but not
  quite as difficult as the advanced program. To set a PR, you need to improve
  your endurance and your speed. You can do this by (1) running more miles, (2)
  running faster, or (3) some combination of both. In order to achieve full
  benefit from this program, you probably need to have been running 3-4 days a
  week for the last year or two and averaging 15-20 miles weekly, It helps if
  you have an understanding of the concepts of speedwork. Here is the type of
  training you need to do, if you want to improve your 5-K time. To motivate
  yourself even more, consider signing up for the interactive version available
  through TrainingPeaks.


  **Run:** When the schedule says "run," that suggests that you run at an easy
  pace. How fast is easy? You need to define your own comfort level. Don't worry
  about how fast you run; just cover the distance suggested--or approximately
  the distance. Ideally, you should be able to run at a pace that allows you to
  converse with a training partner without getting too much out of breath.
schedule:
  miles:
    - week: 1
      days:
        - Rest
        - Rest
        - Rest
        - 2 mi jog
        - Cross
        - 3 mi run
        - 60 min run
    - week: 2
      days:
        - Rest
        - 2 mi run
        - 4 mi run
        - 2 mi run
        - Rest
        - 30-60 min run
        - Cross
    - week: 3
      days:
        - Rest
        - 3 mi run
        - 4 mi run
        - 3 mi run
        - Rest
        - 45-60 min run
        - Cross
    - week: 4
      days:
        - Rest
        - 4 mi run
        - 5 mi run
        - 4 mi run
        - Rest
        - 60 min run
        - Cross
    - week: 5
      days:
        - Rest
        - 5 mi run
        - 5 mi run
        - 3 mi run
        - Rest
        - Rest
        - "**Race**"
  km:
    - week: 1
      days:
        - Rest
        - Rest
        - Rest
        - 3.2 km jog
        - Cross
        - 4.8 km run
        - 60 min run
    - week: 2
      days:
        - Rest
        - 3.2 km run
        - 6.4 km run
        - 3.2 km run
        - Rest
        - 30-60 min run
        - Cross
    - week: 3
      days:
        - Rest
        - 4.8 km run
        - 6.4 km run
        - 4.8 km run
        - Rest
        - 45-60 min run
        - Cross
    - week: 4
      days:
        - Rest
        - 6.4 km run
        - 8.1 km run
        - 6.4 km run
        - Rest
        - 60 min run
        - Cross
    - week: 5
      days:
        - Rest
        - 8.1 km run
        - 8.1 km run
        - 4.8 km run
        - Rest
        - Rest
        - "**Race**"
image:
  src: /_astro/105-runner.CGzV-bIt.png
  width: 835
  height: 495
  format: png
status: published
level: novice
legacy:
  wpId: 149
  wpUrl: /training-programs/post-marathon-recovery/novice-post-marathon/
  oldSlugs:
    - post-marathon-training-guide-novice-schedule-week-1
    - post-marathon-novice
seo:
  description: Recovery after a marathon should begin almost the minute you exit
    the finish chute. This 5-week post-marathon training program is designed to
    help Novice runners heal your wounds and recover as rapidly as possible so
    you can move on to new goals.
todos:
  - "seo.title: no _yoast_wpseo_title in export"
  - "seo.description: falling back to summary"

Body

Hold a mirror up to the final three weeks of the program of mine you used to prepare for the marathon. That is exactly how you want to train (or not train) for the next several weeks. You might call this a reverse taper. The first three days, do nothing. Then a little running (or jogging or walking) just to loosen your muscles. Next a “long run,” same distance as your long run one week out. Oh, and finally some cross-training. Respect the mirror. It will help you rejuvenate your body and (sometimes more important) your mind.

Here is my Post Marathon Training for Novice runners:

**Week 1**: The first three days after the marathon, I want you to do nothing. And I mean nothing! Give your body time to recover. I hope, also, that you remembered to schedule a massage for these several post-marathon days. And don’t forget to follow a high-carb diet to replace depleted muscle glycogen. On the fourth day, go for a very short run of about 2 miles. If your muscles object, stop and walk. If various body parts hurt, do a quick U-Turn and get in the car. You’re not proving anything by running tough. You proved all you needed to prove in the marathon itself. On the weekend, do some cross-training to mix things up. Finally, go for a 60-minute run. Did I tell you how fast to run? No, I just want you out there on your feet for an hour.

**Week 2**: Is it time to start training seriously again? Not really. Bear with me for a while, at least to the end of this 5-week program. Even if you have a race scheduled for five weeks after the marathon, or soon after, you will gain no advantage by training hard at this point. The Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday workouts are 2-4-2 miles, same pattern as during the 18 weeks pre-marathon, but fewer miles. The long-run workout on the weekend offers an option of 30 to 60 minutes running. I don’t want you counting miles this soon.

**Week 3**: By now, recovery should be nearing complete. Please note that I said nearing complete, not near complete. You still have a way to go, but glycogen replenishment for the muscles should be progressing. Some highly trained runners can restore muscle glycogen within a week, according to research by David L. Costill, PhD of the Ball State University Human Performance Laboratory. But other runners might take a month to recover completely. Tip: Maintain the same high-carbohydrate diet you followed going into the marathon. Yes, you need protein (and fats) for recovery, but carbohydrate remains the most important fuel in any well-balanced diet. Long run option: 45-60 minutes.

**Week 4**: In this fourth recovery week, we are getting closer to at least the same mid-week training you followed leading into the marathon: 4-5-4 in terms of miles. A full hour on the weekend for the long run. Add to that some cross-training. Did you do any strength training during your marathon build-up? If you have not gone back to the gym in the last week or two, consider once more doing so. As with running, keep the workout easy. Pump less iron than you might otherwise do.

**Week 5**: With recovery and my five-week program almost complete, consider a return to racing. The race distance could be 5K; it could be a full distance (13.1) half marathon. I suggest this only because for motivational purposes, it is often good to have goals. You don’t need to race flat out. Particularly if your end-of-the-tunnel race chosen is a half marathon, you might want to simply “run” the distance rather than “race” the distance. That means, picking a pace much slower than your fitness level at this point would dictate.

Post Marathon Training plan complete? You are now free to pick any one of my other training programs for your next race.

Improve Your Time (visible only in the inspector)

## How to Improve Your 5-K Times

IF YOU HAVE RUN A NUMBER OF RACES AT THE 5-K DISTANCE, you probably are not going to be content to merely finish your 5-K race. You'd like to finish it with grace, in style and maybe improve your time (known as setting a Personal Record, or PR). The above training schedule will take you to PR Territory. This intermediate Program is one step up from the novice program, but not quite as difficult as the advanced program. To set a PR, you need to improve your endurance and your speed. You can do this by (1) running more miles, (2) running faster, or (3) some combination of both. In order to achieve full benefit from this program, you probably need to have been running 3-4 days a week for the last year or two and averaging 15-20 miles weekly, It helps if you have an understanding of the concepts of speedwork. Here is the type of training you need to do, if you want to improve your 5-K time. To motivate yourself even more, consider signing up for the interactive version available through TrainingPeaks.

**Run:** When the schedule says "run," that suggests that you run at an easy pace. How fast is easy? You need to define your own comfort level. Don't worry about how fast you run; just cover the distance suggested--or approximately the distance. Ideally, you should be able to run at a pace that allows you to converse with a training partner without getting too much out of breath.

Schedule (raw)

← Post Marathon Recovery hub

Legacy

WP id

149

Old URL

/training-programs/post-marathon-recovery/novice-post-marathon/

Old slugs

post-marathon-training-guide-novice-schedule-week-1, post-marathon-novice

Live page

https://www.halhigdon.com/training-programs/post-marathon-recovery/novice-post-marathon/

SEO

frontmatter seo.title

—

rendered <title>

Novice ⚠ differs

frontmatter seo.description

Recovery after a marathon should begin almost the minute you exit the finish chute. This 5-week post-marathon training program is designed to help Novice runners heal your wounds and recover as rapidly as possible so you can move on to new goals.

rendered meta description

Recovery after a marathon should begin almost the minute you exit the finish chute. This 5-week post-marathon training program is designed to help Novice runners heal your wounds and recover as rapidly as possible so you can move on to new goals.

Canonical URL SeoHead will emit

https://higdon-running.com/training-programs/post-marathon-recovery/novice-post-marathon/

Media

• image: /_astro/105-runner.CGzV-bIt.png (835×495)

Inventory row

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