I recently got an email from a newly-minted marathoner and her question was a very familiar one. “I finally reached my long-time goal of running a marathon. Now what should I do?”

After a marathon, the most important thing (in addition to celebrating your achievement) is your recovery. Now is the time to address any nagging pains that came up during your training or that you may have felt during or after the marathon. If you’re still in pain a week post-marathon, you may need to see a physical therapist or sports doctor. Even if you feel fully recovered, take it easy for a few weeks. Your body is still repairing the damage from your training and the race.

Next, how are you feeling mentally? You’ve finally reached your long-term goal, so it’s normal to feel like you’re lacking direction or motivation. The best way to cure the post-race blues is to set a new goal. Many first-time marathoners decide they want to do another one, so they can work on improving their time or run on a different course. If you’d like to do another, it’s a good idea to pick one that’s at least six months away. That gives you enough time to recover—both mentally and physically—and take your training to the next level.

If you’re feeling burned out with marathon running or you’re in the “one-and-done” camp, think about what challenge you’d like to do next. I know lots of marathoners who switch to half-marathons because they still want a serious challenge, but are looking for something that’s a little easier on their bodies. Or, you might want to set a non-race-related goal, such as running three times a week or finding a running group to run with.

How did you follow up your first marathon?

Tags: running, marathon