What to do after your long run

Recovery is important after all of your runs and workouts, but it becomes even more crucial following a long run when you’ve been out on the roads or trails for many more miles than usual. The steps you take in the minutes and hours after a long run could mean the difference between being ready to tackle the next week’s workouts, or needing a few days off because you’re too stiff and sore to run. Follow these steps to make sure your long run builds you up instead of beating you up.

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If you’re cold, get warm, and if you’re hot, get cold

This is the very first step in recovery and should happen as soon as possible after you’ve stopped your watch. If you’ve been running in high temperatures, it’s important to cool yourself down as soon as possible — have some cool water to dump over your head, hop into a cool shower or if you’ve driven somewhere for your run, get in the car and crank the AC. On the other hand, if you’re cold, make sure you have some warm, dry clothes you can change into right away. Shivering in your damp running tights will delay your recovery and is a miserable way to end a good run.

Hydrate

Even if it’s cold outside, it’s important to drink water after your run. Staying properly hydrated helps you regulate your body temperature (see above) and it helps transport nutrients to your muscles to help them recover (see below). Of course, in the hot weather, re-hydrating becomes even more important, and you may also want to consider an electrolyte beverage to replenish the sodium that you’ve lost through sweat.

Eat

You should try to have a snack that contains a 3:1 carbohydrate to protein ratio within 30 to 60 minutes after your run. The time window is important because immediately after running, your muscles process glucose much more efficiently, which helps you to refuel more effectively. Eating protein soon after your run will kick-start muscle recovery, and the sooner your muscles recover, the sooner you can get back out and train. If you don’t often feel like eating a large meal after a run, don’t worry — a small snack like a smoothie with protein, a bagel with peanut butter or pretzels with nuts and fruit is enough.

Eat again

You shouldn’t wait more than three hours to have a full meal after your long run. Just like your post-run snack, this meal should contain a healthy mix of carbohydrates, protein and fat to ensure you’re getting all the nutrients you need to properly recover.

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Stretch and foam roll

Doing some light stretching and gentle foam rolling is a great way to loosen up any tight areas and get your blood flowing to your muscles, which helps repair the muscle fibres that have been broken down during your run. 10-15 minutes is all that’s needed, and it will make a world of difference when you wake up the next morning.