What do You Look Like the Day After a Marathon?

What do you look like the day after a marathon?

This somewhat hinges on whether you run them or race them.  Please spare the hate mail on the previous statement as anyone who completes a marathon is worthy of donning the finishers medal, but there's a clear difference between running and racing a marathon.  Years ago I encountered an older couple who had run the San Diego Rock & Roll Marathon.  To my amazement, they were heading onto another city to run one the following weekend and seemed to move about just fine.  I could never do that, but they clearly "ran" the marathon and didn't seem to display the typical "marathon limp" the day after.

This week I came across a great video* that shows the limp I'm referring to.



I tend to look like Indiana Jones (the Ford version not the Shia version) after he was dragged by the truckload of Nazis.  Perhaps the impact of arthritis and running; or the fact that I try and push my pace as fast as possible.  I have a noticeable limp after a race that sticks around for a day.  I ran into a woman the morning after the Chicago Marathon two years ago and she seemed fresh as a daisy.  I asked how she could move around so easily and she responded with "what was your finish time?"  Not that I'm fast, but she retorted, "no wonder!"  The faster the run, the faster your limbs are pounding the pavement.

What do you look like the day after a race? Daisy or Indy?

* Video courtesy of Flora and the London Marathon

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