First Time Marathoner
Recovery Advice
Most of your physical improvement through training comes not from the exercise, but from the *recovery* from exercise. As your body repairs all those microtears in your muscles - the reason for your fatigue and aches - it builds them up to be stronger than they were before. The gradual buildup in recovery from longer and longer runs is what will make you fit to tun a marathon in the fall.
If anything hurts more than just the usual fatigue, please remember the following acronym: R.I.C.E. Rest Ice Compression Elevation Rest. You need both waking rest, and sleep, to recover from exercise. Ice areas that hurt, to reduce inflamation. Compression involves wrapping the injured part in bandage, to retain warmth during the healing process. Elevation involves raising the hurting part above the level of the heart, so that bood doesn’t pool in that area, causing more inflamation and hurt.
Most routine fatigue and ache from long runs can be remedied by rest, ice and "vitamin I" (ibuprophen). If you are still aching Sunday, a run is probably not a great idea. But a long walk can get blood flowing through the muscles, and promote healing. You may be stiff at the beginning, yet you will loosen up as you keep walking.
If the ache does not diminish over time, if it hurts more later than earlier, if the hurt is a sharp pain rather than a general ache, or if the pain recurs at the same spot on multiple runs, that is when you need to consult a coach or a physician.