So, you just finished a race, congrats!

Whether it was a 5k or a marathon, you should be proud of your accomplishment.

You may be asking yourself: “Where do I go from here?”. That’s a totally valid question and one that I can relate to.

The best way to have a successful post-run strategy is to be prepared. What you do in the hours and days following the race can have a significant impact on your recovery.

Even though I have been a physiotherapist for the last 10 years as well as a runner, I have made my fair share of mistakes when it comes to training for races. It’s always easier to advise people when you’re on the outside, but it’s not always as easy to implement the advice into your training.

Knowing what I know now, and having experienced training for multiple races firsthand, here are 7 things I would ABSOLUTELY recommend doing when training for a marathon (or half marathon).

How many times have you heard the saying “Mind over matter”? It refers to the fact that we can control our physical body with one powerful tool: the mind.

This applies to running as well. I always surprise myself with how far I can go when I actually change my mindset. The more I resist and keep telling myself that “I’m in hell” (not being dramatic at all), the harder the run gets.

However, in my 10+ years of experience as an endurance runner, I have picked up some mental tips and tricks along the way that have helped me go the distance. I will share these tips with you today in this blog post so you can use them on your next run when you feel like you’re struggling.

I had done everything ‘’right’’ during my fall 2022 marathon training. I was getting at least 8 hours of sleep every night, I was fueling my body properly, staying on top of my strength training, and following my running program to a tee.

Yet, the week before my marathon, the thing I dreaded the most as a runner happened: a stress fracture. Only at the time, I didn’t know I had a stress fracture.