13/05/2013

Post-Marathon Post

Just to tie-up the last details...

Immediately post-marathon I limped my way to the Diabetes UK ‘cool down’ party (not more than 500m from the finish line) and met up with my supporters. I rehydrated, had some food, had a massage and then got taken home. I sat for a while with frozen peas on The Knee in an attempt to start the recovery, had a bath and then rolled into bed.

The next day I surprised myself by being able to walk around my flat without agony. Making old-person groans and grunts when I got up or sat down or moved too fast, yes. In a measure of pain, yes; but not agony. Intent on keeping the muscles moving a little, I ventured out to the corner shop. That was a bad plan, because the five minute walk there was more than enough exercise for the muscles, and then coming back was downhill. Which was very, very painful on the knees.

I was then ill for a week. I thought at first it was my body reacting to the nonsense of the marathon, but given that it knocked me out for the rest of the week I think it might just have been my immune system surrendering to the first bug that came along post-race. I spent several days curled up on the sofa, dozing under a blanket. With occasional old-person groans.

I have fully recovered now and normality is settling back in. Already it’s starting to feel slightly surreal that I ran a marathon.

I went back to the gym last week. I didn't go on the treadmill, didn't take my knee support, didn't even tape my toenails up. I spent ten minutes on the exercise bike; it felt good to break a sweat. The Knee felt a touch tender/achey for a day or so after, but not as if I’ve done any permanent damage. Running will begin again sometime in the near future, but not immediately; I probably need a new pair of running shoes, after all.
Including the 3-5k treadmill runs that I stopped recording on this graph, I've racked up nearly 300 miles.

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