Recovery time from your first IM

I found I could get back fairly easily into light swimming and biking, but when I tried to run an easy 3 a couple weeks after the race... yikes !

Your plan sounds pretty good !

I've never done an IM so I can't speak from experience of that.

But when I've played basketball for hours on end or done long runs and end up sore for days afterwords the best thing you can go do is go for a nice walk. 

My legs always felt better after walking and my recovery time dropped significantly, especially playing college ball.

It usually takes me a full month to feel like everything is normal again and I can get in some good quality workouts.  Usually after taking a week completely off I can do shorter, easy workouts but have found that I tire very easily from them.  I try to focus a lot on sleep for the first 1-1.5 weeks post IM and that really seems to help.  Your mind will think you're ready but when you try a workout you'll know if you're ready because your body will definitely let you know.

I haven't done anything yet since IM CDA.  Tomorrow I plan to do short swim- like 500 yards or something and maybe an easy spin on the bike- 30-45 mins over the weekend.  Next week I will try to bike and swim more frequent and maybe add in a short run- like 10 mins or something to assess the legs.  I have found that running too soon or too much in the beginning will delay my recovery and cause injuries later, so I'd rather hold off and not do a lot with running until 2 weeks post IM.

Everyone is different so make sure to eat, hydrate and get plenty of sleep to recover.  And of course listen to your body.  I think most people make the mistake of not letting themselves fully recover and it will come back to bite you in the butt later on.

BTW- congrats on finishing your first IM!  IM CDA was an AWESOME race!

Mine was an odd situation in that I had a non-training (hamstring) injury three weeks before the race and couldn't do much to rehab that until after the IM.  Pretty much had to knock off running (and riding any hills) for longer than I might otherwise have done.  Looking at my logs, it was just over two weeks before I did any sort of serious workouts apart from swimming.  I was definitely recovered sufficiently from both the race and the injury to run a half mary a month after the IM and came within about 3 minutes of a PR.

I will say that after my first marathon--for which I was very undertrained, but not injured--it took a month to get back to normal running.  With my marathons since then (where I trained more appropriately), I've been able to resume running again without issues in 4-6 days.  The single thing that influences recovery time most, IMO, is training.



Edited by tcovert 2010-07-01 10:50 AM

I felt great after my first Ironman.  I thought I was ready to start training right after the race. My coach at the time forced me to take off for 3 weeks. The first week I felt great. By the second week the emotional high was gone and fatigue had set in. By the third week I was climbing the walls and ready to work out again but I didn't.

What kept me from working out? I read posts on BT from people who started back too soon. For many people the full effects of starting back too soon didn't show up until later. It seemed like a lot of people had injuries or really bad race results a few months later. What are your goals long term? What will you gain from starting back too soon?

I spent the time off cleaning the house and reconnecting with family and friends.

 

Edited by Catwoman 2010-07-01 12:34 PM

I did IMCdA in 2010.  We did some hiking walking around at Yellowstone on the return trip.  No biking or swimming for 8(ish) weeks (doctor orders) but I started running 3-6 miles 2-3 weeks after the race. 

x2 Great advice. Take the recovery time. I opted to race a short holiday sprint 3 or 4 weeks after my first Ironman. This was a big mistake, my immune system was shot and I spent the next couple months battling lung infections and a round of the flu. I should have stuck to the pool and easy bike rides for a month.

It's better to take TOO much time off then get injured. Last Ironman I got a cold after and that kindof forced me to stay down low for a while. It was for the better. I've also heard it takes nearly a month for the muscles to rebuild from the damage.

took me about 5 weeks. I was frustrated too and wanted to be back out there but your body NEEDS the time!  at 2 weeks I tried to run and after a half mile ended up walking home... backwards.  there's no point in pushing it too early.  Its ok to do some ez swims and bikes 2-3 weeks out but put sleep and family first. Exercise to help your muscles recover but don't "train" per se. enjoy the high ironman!

I totally sabotaged my IM recovery after IMSG. I did some heavy mtn bike riding and put in a total of almost 200 road miles, in the first week post IM. Then I hit the running in week 2, as in 8 mile runs. All was 'fine' until...

Week 3-totally crashed. Developed tendonitis in my foot, my body felt like it was coming undone. Mentally I was just lost. I couldn't connect the Ironman with the 'me' 3 weeks later. I had it in me that first week post IM that I was somehow 'different' than others. I then took a couple weeks totally off to try to compensate for making a mess of my first post IM week, since I feel that all of it was direct result of me continuing to pulverize my body when it really needed rest. Those couple weeks I basically went to work, came home and went to bed.

10 weeks out and I finally feel like I am back to normal, just in time to race a HIM. My recovery from this race will be like my HIM last year, respectful of what I need and nothing like my IMSG 'recovery.'

Take what time you need, your body WILL take what it needs however it needs to to do it. If you fight it like I did, it will be both miserable and counter productive.

One week of easy swimming and spinning for IM recovery.

It's been one week since IM CDA and all I've done is one 1,000 yard swim and some walking.  I've been trying to walk the dogs more now that I have time and it's something to do but not as taxing as running.  I still haven't tried to run yet and will probably do that within a few days- nothing major, just 10-20 mins of ez running to see how my legs are.

I have just been sleeping- ALOT.  Last night I got 11 hours of sleep.  And then took 2 naps today- one was an hour and the other one was later on after eating dinner- that was about a 1/2 hour nap. I cannot believe how much sleep my body needs right now.  I get short spurts of energy but wear out very quickly.  I hope this phase passes soon but I'm not going to rush it and will take all the time I need to properly recover.

 

I didn't work out at all (nothing, nada) and sat around the house for 3.5 months....then trained for 3.5 months and did another one. 

What about strength training?
I just finished my FIRST Ironman (in Frankfurt, Germany, no wetsuits allowed, longer bike ride 185km instead of 180km, 15hr cut-off instead of 16hrs, tough, but I had a great time )

I just spent a week doing almost nothing, took my dog for two walks  (25min).
I'm hungry all the time, and get more easily tired from work.
Although I'd LOVE to train again, I'll wait. Maybe swim a little this week (2nd post-IM week) or do a very easy bike ride just to test a new seat I bought).

But is it ok to do strength training for the upper body, I wonder?
Just easy training, with a resistance band, 15-20 repitions?
I get so easily tight muscles in my back, so I'd love to do a little strength training.

But my upper back/shoulders feels weird, almost as if they were sunburned (they didn't get sunburned at all this summer), like I'm sore just below the skin..

Does someone have any advice on that?
Easy strength training, would that be ok? Core and upper body?

the rule of thumb i use with my athletes is if they've been doing it for most or all of their IM training then after 1-2 weeks, try the gym and see how you feel.  otherwise, don't do anything new.

I did IMCdA this year.  My stomach shut down for part of the race so I slowed my pace down quite a bit below my normal speed.  It took me about 1 week recovery-wise.  *Except* I had one leg suffering from shin-splints.  The IMCdA run course has a lot of stretches where you're running on a slant, and I think that got to me.

Aside from that injury I've felt good; no problems on bike rides. 

Thanks Steve!

I've been strength training since august last year, and love it, and train quite moderately. By using resistance band instead of dumbbells I think I can keep the strain quite low I guess.
Nope, no new exercises now.

Great. I think I'll give it a try that some day this week
Looking forward to feel my muscles moving again...

I feel the biggest mistake someone can make is to not do anything post IM.  NOTE:  I am not talking about training.  I'm talking about active recovery.  I have my guys get in the pool for at least 10-15 minutes the day after an IM.

Why?  To get their muscles moving and blood flowing.  3 days of EASY swimming and then introduce some light riding (small gear only) and at the end of the week some light jogging (not running...jogging).

If you are just sitting there doing nothing after crushing your body and training for as long as you did, you are just sabotaging your recovery. 

Depending on the indivdual and experience/base, training starts 4-6 weeks post race.  But exercise starts the next day.

YMMV.

I'm glad I saw this thread as it has answered a few questions and I certainly didn't expect to be this fatigued 2 weeks Post IM CDA.  I am sure it is partly due to my work schedule, the Tuesday after CDA I was on a plane to the east coast for 2 days of meetings, back to San Diego for the 4th of July weekend and then back on the road last week for 3 days.  Fortunately I am in the office for most of this week aside from a trip to the Midwest for 2 days and then next week back to the East Coast.  That flight from SD to DC on the Tuesday after CDA really sucked...

I got on the bike this weekend for the first time since CDA and felt like a complete turd.  25 miles in 1:15 and I was pretty worked from the ride.  Took it a bit more mellow on Sunday with high cadence 20 mile ride to go watch the Carlsbad Tri and cheer on some friends but still feeling super fatigued and even having a bit of trouble focusing at work overall.  Can't seem to eat enough either which is funny since I haven't been training or working out. 

I did get a couple of great surf sessions in over the 4th of july weekend as we had a decent south swell and that felt good to get in the ocean but haven't swam or surfed since.  Too tired.  Maybe I'm not giving myself enough time for my body to relax but I go nutty just sitting around and not doing anything. LOL!