So../ whats next?

A massive congratulations to everyone who ran a Spring marathon and a very well done to anyone that ran the London Marathon.

First let’s reflect. The 45th London Marathon was an amazing feat of human grit and determination for both elite and general public runners alike. A record breaking number of runners (56,640 runners) crossed London’s finish line after a grueling 26.2 miles in London’s heatwave. This heatwave also broke the record for the hottest London Marathon on record at a staggering 22°C!

Jepchirchi’s previous elite women’s world record was broken by Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa, falling from 2:16:16 to 2:15:50, while Sebastian Sawe from Kenya took the gold for elite men in 2:02:27.

Meanwhile in the wheelchair race a dominant Swiss duo took the women’s and men’s gold. Catherine Debrunner broke her own course record by 4 minutes (narrowly missing a world record by 2 seconds) to top off her third London win and for the men, Marcel Hug took his 7th win (5th consecutive) maintaining a dominant lead from the 10km mark.

So… what’s next?

First things first which I don’t think anyone needs to tell you - recover!

After the pavement pounding over 26.2 miles your body is going to be sore and exhausted and so will your mind. Have a physical and psychological break to give yourself the space needed to recover. To aid recovery why not try something new to help you bounce back sooner like our Victory Compression Socks or even just a fresh pair of Podium socks to be kind to the feet that carried you 26.2 miles.

Second - Assess your why! 

Everyone would’ve had their own motivation to get them from the dark depths of the pain cave (somewhere along the roads of Canary Wharf) to the finish line. Be proud of yourself and pat yourself on the back for completing a marathon.

Third - Decide what you want to do.

For some, a marathon is one and done. If that’s you I give you a massive round of applause, kick off those trainers, and get yourself into a fresh pair of socks (maybe have a look at our merino range, Monkey Sox aren’t just for your sports)!

For others once the run bug bites you it never leaves. After following a training plan and devoting the past 12 to 20 weeks to getting yourself ready for the big day some find that the self-improvement/‘newbie gains’ addictive and having something like running to structure the madness that is ‘life’ is actually quite therapeutic. If this is you ease yourself back into your runs and listen to your body (unless you want to find yourself at the Physio being told off for running 2 days after a marathon). Once back on your feet, consider a ‘maintenance run’ plan until you feel ready to take on your next training block either for a shorter distance or another mammoth 26.2 miles. 

Whichever way you decide to go be sure check out Monkey Sox and let us help support you (and your feet) every step of the way!