Hi Amanda,

Congrats on your achievement.  My advise may be different from others.  I committed myself to running 13 marathons this year fund raising for Lance Armstrong Foundation's fight against cancer.  That means I need to recover quickly if I am to run a marathon every 4 weeks.  My routine is to take a ice or cold bath for my legs after the race.  This will help to cool down my muscles and prevent excess blood flow.  I would stretch for 1/2 hour before taking shower.  The next day, even though my muscles are sore, I would ride a bike or swim for 1/2 hour, and stretch for 1/2 hour in the morning.  This tends to get rid of lactic acid build up from the race.  In the afternoon or evening, I would light jog a mile or two, depending on how I feel.  On the second day, I would get back to training routine at 50 - 75% pace.

This routine may be too aggressive for you since this was your first 1/2 marathon.  The point is to get back to your training schedule as soon as possible so you are building up strength and endurance.  When you can shorten the time between event and first recovery run, you will see better result in your next endurance event.  Great job and keep up the good work!

Fred Lin

Please visit my fund raising page at www.fredlin.com and donate towards my effort for Lance Armstrong Foundation's fight against cancer!