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post-marathon recovery and return-to-running

v1

A 4-week "Reverse Taper" program to manage physiological repair and gradual reintroduction of running after a marathon.

Available
marathonrecoveryrunningendurance

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FitnessGrid is an AI coach that plans your week and adapts as you go. Install post-marathon recovery and return-to-running and your coach will follow this protocol every week, learn from what you actually do, and adjust on the fly.

  • Your coach builds the week from this skill
  • Adapts to your actual progress, not a static template
  • Free to start — no credit card, ~60 seconds to set up

Procedure

  1. Verify Race Completion and History:

    • Use get_user_history to identify the date of the marathon and confirm pre-race peak weekly volume.
    • Check get_user_preferences for current heart rate zones and resting heart rate (RHR) baseline.

  2. Initialize Week 1: Total Systemic Reset:

    • Build a 7-day schedule using create_week.
    • Schedule 0 miles of running.
    • Add create_note entries for:
      • Nutrition: Focus on high-carbohydrate intake for 48 hours and 20–30g of protein per meal.
      • Activity: Complete rest for at least 3 days; limit other days to light walking or gentle stretching.
    • Explain that this allows inflammatory markers (CRP) and muscle damage markers (CK/LDH) to decline.

  3. Initialize Week 2: Low-Impact Reintroduction:

    • If muscle soreness has subsided, schedule 1–2 "shakeout" runs (20–30 minutes) at a conversational pace.
    • Schedule 2–3 low-impact sessions (e.g., swimming, cycling, or yoga) using create_workout.
    • Add a note to monitor Resting Heart Rate (RHR); if RHR is elevated above baseline, skip running and stick to low-impact activity.

  4. Initialize Week 3: Gradual Loading (Reverse Taper Start):

    • Set volume to 25–50% of the user's pre-race peak weekly volume.
    • Schedule 3–4 short runs (3–5 miles) using create_workout.
    • Use compute_hr_zones to ensure all runs are capped at Zone 2 (60–70% Max HR).
    • Explicitly exclude speed work, hills, or intervals.
    • Add 1–2 bodyweight-focused strength training sessions to the schedule.

  5. Initialize Week 4: Return to Base Training:

    • Set volume to 50–75% of pre-race peak weekly volume.
    • Schedule 4–5 runs, including a modest "long run" of 6–10 miles.
    • Introduce "strides" (15–20 second bursts) to 1–2 runs, but maintain an easy base pace for all other mileage.
    • Continue to avoid high-intensity anaerobic intervals.

  6. Establish Monitoring and Pivot Triggers:

    • Provide a summary note to the user regarding "Red Flags" that require pausing the plan:
      • Heart rate spikes during easy efforts (autonomic fatigue).
      • Sharp localized pain in joints/tendons (overuse risk).
      • Persistent sleep or mood disturbances (CNS fatigue).
    • Remind the user of the "One Day Per Mile" rule, suggesting full-intensity training should typically wait until ~26 days post-race.