Nov 5, 1999

(from same runner as 11/2/99 letter). How many easy miles should I be running each day during marathon recovery? I would hate to lose my fitness after all these months of training. (name withheld)

REPLY: My practice (honed by dozens of marathons and many post-marathon mistakes) is this. Rest the next three or four days afterward, until the leg pains vanish.

Then for the next week or so run no longer than a half-hour. For remainder of the following month, go no more than an hour -- with no speedwork or races.

You lose almost no fitness on such a routine, and drastically cut the risk of breakdowns. You could start training for another marathon as soon as Thanksgiving, but remember that the easy period is a continuation of "training" from the last one.

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