How long does it take to recover from a marathon?

Well, I certainly don't know the answer, and it would appear the internet isn't sure either. One article says: "A standard rule of thumb is one day per mile." Hmm, so I can expect that it will take almost a month to fully recover? And what does it even mean to recover?

I like the advice from this NY times blog which recommends a "reverse taper" for 2-3 weeks after a marathon. I was a little weary about even reading an article that starts with "I ran my first marathon this month," but it was a good 'lil blurb that basically says there is no right/proven answer. Which I take to mean that I can do whatever the eff I want for the next month or so. And by then, most people agree, I should be officially recovered.

My fiance (an aspiring ultra-runner) is convinced I should have been doing small runs of 1-3 miles starting the day after my m-thon...it would help with my recovery. I did not take his advice because it didn't feel right to me and my body. Instead, after Newport I took exactly 6 days off from running (and all other forms of exercise).

Run #1, yesterday, was a minor "disaster." I felt horrible the entire.freaking.time. I thought all of my soreness was gone, but when I started running, these weird areas that don't normally hurt started aching. Like my left knee, for example. I've never once had knee trouble and didn't even have knee trouble during the actual marathon. But all the sudden my left knee is throbbing like crazy. What a struggle it was to run 5 miles under 9:30 pace.

Luckily, run #2 today was muuuuuuuuch better.  I still don't feel "back to normal," but I felt a whole heck of a lot better than yesterday. My knee was still mildly throbbing. Still, I ran a very cruisy ~8:26 avg pace over 4 miles and felt relatively good. Phew! 

I motivated myself out the door today by putting on my favorite Mountain Hardwear and Montrail running gear and then posing (for myself) in a bed of luscious, green clover, located approximately 7 steps outside of my apartment door.

Ghost Whisperer Hooded Jacket, Mighty Power Capri, Montrail FluidFlex

Tonight, post-run, I'm happy as a clam. My ridiculously delicious and healthy dinner is below and it was followed by 1.5 squares of dark chocolate because I crave the contrasting flavor.

Ridiculous salad

And, like so many times after a run, I feel 1,000 times more clear in the head and ready to tackle the upcoming work week. This week I'm also biding my time until my fiance returns from his whirlwind tour de Asia!