Marathon Monday is Coming: Here’s How We Can Help

Mar 2

If you’ve been in the greater Boston area for any length of time, you know that Marathon Monday is the day of the world famous Boston Marathon. This year, it’s on April 15.

The first Boston Marathon took place on April 19, 1897. It is the oldest marathon in the country. Every year, it’s held on the 3rd Monday in April, which is also Patriots’ Day in Massachusetts. Approximately half a million people line up along the 26.2 mile route from Hopkinton to the Back Bay to watch the 20,000 or so runners that qualify every year.

If you’re one of the 20,000, congratulations and respect to you! And if you’re just someone who just likes to run for enjoyment or exercise, you also deserve a nod. No matter how far or how often you run, you know it can be hard on your body, so relaxation is not only needed, but an important part of recovery.

With the Boston Marathon in our neck of the woods, we decided to find out what Water House Wellness can do to support the running community. A lot of the focus of this article is on marathons or long distance training, but the knowledge applies to casual running as well!

Marathon Prep

Running 26.2 miles is no joke! Holistic training of your mind, body, and spirit are an important part of getting ready. Clearly physical training is kind of a no brainer, and we recommend speaking to an expert for information on the best way to prepare your body to run long distances.

Nutrition is an important part of preparing your body for a long, difficult run. Water House Wellness Registered Dietitian, Laurie, says that fueling for the big day is something you should get familiar with during your training sessions, “Most distance runners likely know that a carbohydrate focused diet is important since your body uses both glucose (a form of sugar that circulates in the bloodstream) and glycogen (sugar that your body stores in your liver and muscles) as the primary source of fuel. Protein is also important since it allows your body to repair and build the damaged muscles from the training done each week.

“There is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to nutrition. Keeping a food journal and building yourself a list of foods and drinks that your body thrives on will help you come up with a plan. Tracking what you eat, how much, how soon before, during, and after a run, and how you felt should be recorded.”

Note: At the time of this writing, our nutrition program is still in development, but if you’re wanting specific information from Laurie contact the office and she’d love to help!

Athletes are sometimes of the “no pain, no gain” mindset. When preparing to run a marathon, it’s more important than ever to listen to your body. If you are tired, SLEEP. Sleep is the best recovery there is.

Running for over 26 miles is a big mental and spiritual journey as well, so it’s important that you train your mind as well as your body. Experts recommend meditation, journaling and goal setting as part of the process.

Marathon Recovery

It’s not uncommon for someone to train for 20 weeks to run a marathon. It’s an emotional experience where you will experience relief, pride, accomplishment, excitement, and probably pain. Running for 26.2 miles is major trauma on your body. Your muscles breakdown and the byproducts will stay in your blood for at least a week. You want to flush lactic acid, creatine kinase, and other chemical effects of the race out of your body. Everything is out of whack and will need time to recover.

During this phase, nutrition is equally important while your body heals, “Proper recovery is important to help prevent injury and restore your body back to balance. Hydration is also important so be sure to drink your water. A sweat test can be done to help find out specifics for how much you should be drinking,” advises Laurie.

Experts recommend taking a short break from running for a few days while you are in recovery. Anywhere from 5 to 7 days is recommended.

Even though you aren’t running, you should still be moving your body. Swimming is a great back up activity because there is no impact on your joints. Biking and yoga are other good options. Weight training is also okay with light weights. When it’s time for you to start running again, ease in slowly.

Just like preparing for a marathon, you need to listen to your body after it is done. Sleep is even more important now! Use the time you took during training- only this time, instead of waking up early or going to bed late, sleep! Deep sleep is when growth hormones are released and muscle growth and repair are stimulated.

It’s not uncommon for marathon runners to experience some mental health struggles following a race. Post race blues are normal. Months of training and structure are suddenly just “gone” and some people don’t know how to channel that energy. Sometimes runners are disappointed in their race time. The marathon doesn’t have to be the endpoint. Think about what is next and slowly work toward that while focusing on recovery.

Should Marathon Runners Incorporate Massage?

Massages feel great. Obviously it’s an important part of what we do at Water House Wellness, though we wanted to look into whether our marathon-running friends should take part or wait until they’re done training.

There surprisingly is very little science on the subject. A 2020 literature review concluded that sports massage has no effect on performance, but that it did provide significant improvements in flexibility and delayed onset of muscle soreness (DOMS).

With a lack of studies on the topic, we turned to our licensed massage therapists for anecdotal evidence, based on their experience working with runners. Water House Wellness owner and LMT Kelly has worked with many runners and weighed in on the topic, “What I would suggest every runner does is find a therapist that they feel comfortable with and establish a baseline with them. A good time to do that would be at least two weeks before the race that they are running and before a rest day.

Based on how somebody does with a baseline with that therapist they can keep detailed notes so that when they return, they can give feedback about what kind of massage they need right before the race. If they felt sore in any way they would want to avoid getting a massage that was that deep.”

That baseline massage is important and gives the LMT a feel for what that particular runner may need. Some benefits of runners incorporating massage may include:

Conditioning of muscles and joints
Decrease in stress
Help prevent or improve injury
Reducing inflammation
Aids in recovery

Experts do say marathon runners should wait for a couple of days to get a full-on massage but Kelly feels like in her work, that it really depends on the person, “The reason why they suggest that you wait is because most people don’t get regular massages, so they have no baseline for what happens to their body afterwards. If someone knows they develop bruises or feels mildly sick from an inflammatory response (like a vaccine) after a routine massage, they can work with their LMT to find something more appropriate for their needs following a marathon.”

At the end of the Boston Marathon, there are usually physical therapists and massage therapists on hand at the finish to do some light work that can help with relief. Sometimes it’s stretching, other times light massage. This will most likely be very gentle since the practitioner does not know the response each runner will have.

Let Us Be a Part of the Process

Whether you’re training for the Boston Marathon or a casual runner, massage can be an important part of your routine. Scheduling a regular massage with a therapist will familiarize them with your body and establish a baseline. After the LMT gets to know you, they will be able to work on something that is out of the normal range for you.

The Licensed Massage Therapists at Water House Wellness would love to get you on the schedule. You can book something online now, or call the front desk to talk with someone about what type of massage would be a good fit for your needs. Give us a call at (339) 707-0476.