Recovery After Long Runs: What Actually Works

You just finished your long run. You're tired, maybe a little sore, and wondering what you should do next. The fitness industry will happily sell you compression boots, recovery drinks, and cryotherapy sessions. But what actually helps?

Here's the good news: the most effective recovery strategies are simple, cheap, and boring. The bad news? There are no shortcuts.

The Recovery Timeline

How long you need to recover depends on how hard you pushed:

• 60-90 minute long run: 24-48 hours
• 90-120 minutes: 36-48 hours
• 2-3 hours: 48-72 hours
• Marathon or ultra: 1-3 weeks

These are general guidelines. Some runners bounce back faster than others-age, fitness level, sleep quality, and nutrition all play a role. Pay attention to how you feel, not just what the calendar says.

What to Do Immediately After

1. Keep Moving (Briefly)

Don't collapse on the couch immediately. Walk for 5-10 minutes to let your heart rate come down gradually. This helps clear metabolic waste from your muscles and prevents blood from pooling in your legs.

2. Hydrate

You've been sweating for 1-3+ hours. Drink water or an electrolyte drink until your urine is light yellow. Don't force-chug a gallon-just sip steadily over the next few hours.

Use our Fueling Calculator to estimate your hydration needs based on run duration and conditions.

3. Eat Something

The "30-minute window" for recovery nutrition is somewhat overstated, but eating within an hour of finishing is still a good idea. Your muscles are primed to absorb glycogen, and you need protein to start repairing muscle damage.

Good post-long-run options:

• Chocolate milk (seriously-great carb/protein ratio)
• Bagel with peanut butter and banana
• Smoothie with fruit, yogurt, and protein
• Eggs and toast
• Recovery shakes (Skratch Recovery, Tailwind Recovery)

Aim for roughly 50-100g of carbs and 15-25g of protein. Don't stress about exact ratios-just eat real food.

The Next 24-48 Hours

Sleep Is Non-Negotiable

This is the single most important recovery tool, and it's free. During deep sleep, your body releases growth hormone and repairs damaged tissue. Skimp on sleep, and you're undermining everything else.

After a long run, you may need an extra 30-60 minutes of sleep. Don't feel guilty about it.

Easy Movement Helps

Complete rest isn't always better than gentle activity. A 20-30 minute walk, easy bike ride, or swim can improve blood flow and help you feel less stiff. The key word is easy-this is active recovery, not training.

Should You Run?

Running the day after a long run is fine for experienced runners, but keep it very short (20-30 minutes) and very easy. If you're a newer runner or the long run was particularly hard, take the day off entirely. There's no prize for toughness here.

Recovery Methods: What's Worth It?

Probably Helpful

• Walking: Free, easy, improves circulation
• Foam rolling: May reduce soreness, feels good (TriggerPoint GRID, Hyperice Vyper are popular)
• Gentle stretching: Maintains mobility, relaxing
• Compression socks: Some evidence for reducing soreness (CEP and Sockwell are popular)

Maybe Helpful, Expensive

• Massage: Feels great, evidence for recovery benefits is mixed
• Ice baths: May reduce soreness but could blunt adaptations if overused
• Compression boots: Probably no better than walking, but people love them

Probably Not Worth It

• Expensive "recovery" supplements: Real food works just as well
• Cryotherapy chambers: Cool technology, minimal evidence
• Anything that costs more than sleep

Signs You Haven't Recovered

Don't just wait a certain number of hours-pay attention to your body. Warning signs that you need more recovery:

• Legs feel heavy or dead on easy runs
• Elevated resting heart rate (5-10+ beats above normal)
• Poor sleep or unusual fatigue
• Irritability or lack of motivation
• Persistent muscle soreness beyond 48-72 hours

If these symptoms persist, you might be accumulating fatigue across multiple weeks. Consider an extra rest day or an easy week.

The Unsexy Truth

The best recovery protocol is boring:

1. Sleep 7-9 hours
2. Eat enough food (real food, not supplements)
3. Stay hydrated
4. Move gently
5. Don't do another hard workout too soon

That's it. Everything else is optional. Compression boots won't fix poor sleep. Ice baths won't undo under-eating. Get the basics right, and your body will do the rest.