As strange as it sounds to nonendurance junkies, the most addictive element of triathlon is how fun the races are. The simple thrill of racing three different ways in a morning is hard to fully explain.

But when you want to improve your triathlon performance beyond simply surviving the race, triathlon training is a big part of the fun as well鈥攊t becomes a puzzle to be solved. Few are blessed with being strong swimmers and bikers and runners, and figuring out how to not only improve your weaknesses but also fit all that training into a busy life is a unique challenge.

This is why a training plan is essential for a triathlon. If you鈥檙e looking to train yourself and not hire a coach, you鈥檒l find a lot of plans out there. Here are some of the best ones on the internet.

Hal Higdon

(Free, with paid interactive versions available)

Legendary coach and longtime author Hal Higdon developed these extremely straightforward, beginner-friendly, eight-week plans for sprint-distance triathlons. is more of a general fitness overview, with days for strength building and even walking, and isn鈥檛 meant to make you competitive. is more specific and features combination workouts that allow you to practice your transitions using brick sessions, which are bike-run workouts that get your body used to running on heavy, tired legs (just like on race day). Both plans measure in time rather than distance; more detailed, interactive versions of these are available through .

Triathlete.com

($54.95 to $84.95)

Coach Matt Fitzgerald created 鈥攖en each for sprint, Olympic, half-Ironman, and Ironman distances. Whether you鈥檙e aiming to win or simply to finish, there鈥檚 a plan for you. Triathlete also offers a free . The paid plans are all on the TrainingPeaks platform.

TrainingPeaks

($4.95 to $1,500)

If you鈥檙e looking for the mother lode of training plans, . The industry-standard TrainingPeaks platform lets you track your plan and all data from your workouts across all your devices. You鈥檒l find plans here from top coaches like , , , , and many others, plus official Ironman-branded plans.

Purplepatch Fitness

($185 per month)

For those who want a without the commitment of regular coaching, elite coach will craft a plan for you based on your type of race, goals, and weekly schedule. There鈥檚 also unlimited support for all your training and racing questions when they come up鈥攁nd Dixon offers one-on-one consultations if you need them.

Super Simple Ironman Plan

(Free)

Like any iconic race, attracts a lot of bucket-listers. For those who simply want to finish 140.6 miles, this will get you to the start line鈥攁nd, ideally, over the finish line. It鈥檚 broken down monthly, not weekly, and there are no listed effort levels for each workout鈥攕imply duration.

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Just because cycling is a low-impact activity doesn鈥檛 mean it鈥檚 an injury-free pursuit鈥攅ven when you stay rubber side down. Of course, there are some inherent high-velocity risks. But aside from those, lots of cyclists suffer from several common injuries unrelated to crashing. Luckily, many are curable鈥攁nd usually avoidable with a few important tweaks to equipment or training routine.

For expert advice on cycling injuries and how to beat them, we asked , a sports medicine doctor in New York City who鈥檚 also an experienced cyclist. To dial in your bike fit, we suggest using Competitive Cyclists鈥� .

Saddle Discomfort

This is a catchall term for the pain caused either by achy sit bones from too much pressure on the saddle or from saddle sores鈥攚hich are abrasions from too much friction between you and your seat.

How to Prevent It: A number of things can cause pain in this region, so Metzl recommends the doing plenty of core-strengthening exercises and getting a good bike fit. Often, saddle pain or friction occurs when the saddle is too high. As for saddle sores, be sure to wear properly fitting shorts, and try chamois cream in your nether regions. It鈥檚 important to them when they start out as hot spots, before they become full-blown sores with the potential for infection. Also consider to one with a better shape or cushioning (less is often best) that feels right to you. Many bike shops will help fit you to a saddle of the right width and even allow you to try different models until you find one that works. Finally, invest in a high-quality pair of bib shorts.

Cyclist鈥檚 Knee

Though lots of people take up cycling to ease pain in their knees, cycling doesn鈥檛 always entirely relieve this pain鈥攅ven a quarter of pro cyclists suffer from knee injuries, in the American Journal of Sports Medicine that looked at seven professional cycling teams. Similar to runner鈥檚 knee, this is patellofemoral pain in and around the kneecap. Cyclists can get it from muscle tightness or a bad bike fit.

How to Prevent It: 鈥淐yclists are notorious for not stretching,鈥� Metzl says, 鈥渟o I have my cyclists get on a foam roller, which really helps them a lot.鈥� He recommends rolling the quads, hamstrings, and calves. And stretch, of course. Also: Check your seat height and setback against an online calculator.

Back Pain

It鈥檚 probably no surprise that hours spent in the cycling position can give riders soreness throughout the neck and spine. than cycling with strong muscles and a properly fitted bike.

How to Prevent It: Make sure your saddle is the right height鈥攐ne that鈥檚 too low or too high can aggravate lower-back pain. And be sure the rest of the bike鈥檚 geometry fits you so that your spine is in a neutral position and not rounded. Most riders will benefit from a more relaxed fit鈥攚ith the bars higher and closer to the body鈥攖hat prioritizes comfort over aerodynamics. Finally, Metzl recommends core strengthening and foam rolling to ensure flexibility and a greater range of motion.

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Every year, . Most suffer from a handful of common injuries. These are not good odds.

But here鈥檚 the good news: You can avoid them. In fact, these injuries are often easier to prevent than to cure. For advice, we turned to , a sports medicine physician in New York City who鈥檚 run 35 marathons and finished 14 Ironman triathlons.

Here are the three most common running injuries, according to Metzl, and his advice on how to prevent them.

Shin Splints

This soreness on your tibia can be mild or severe enough to make running impossible. It鈥檚 often a new-runner injury, experienced by people whose bodies aren鈥檛 used to the impact. But runners鈥攅ven serious ones鈥攃an get when getting back into running after a long break or by running in minimally cushioned shoes too soon. If you ignore the pain and try to run through it, Metzl says it鈥檚 possible for shin splints to eventually lead to a stress fracture.

How to Prevent It: If you鈥檙e just starting running or getting back into it after time off, 鈥渂e slow and steady with your ramp-up,鈥� Metzl says. (He also encourages runners never to increase their mileage more than 10 percent per week.) If you start to feel shin splints, 鈥渞ecognize the pain early on, and don鈥檛 run through it, which makes it a lot worse,鈥� he says. Also: Increase your calcium and vitamin D intake, and strengthen your hips and core.

Achilles Tendinitis

This pain at the back of the heel is often caused by weak muscles in your posterior chain (calves, hamstrings, and glutes), says Metzl. Inflexibility, especially in the calf muscles, can be another primary cause. The pain can be severe enough to keep you away from running at all.

How to Prevent It: Metzl recommends strengthening the posterior chain with exercises like squats, burpees, lunges, and . And remember to stretch your calves. Metzl also recommends orthotics or running in shoes with more support for those who need it.

Runner鈥檚 Knee

Runner鈥檚 knee, or patellofemoral pain syndrome, refers to pain under the kneecap. There can be many causes, but according to Metzl, it generally happens 鈥渨hen your muscles above the knee are not strong or flexible enough, while below the knee, your foot is rolling in too much.鈥� This puts pressure around the front of the kneecap, which can twist the patella tendon underneath it. If the pain is manageable, people may try to run through it (although it鈥檚 best not to), while others find it debilitating.

How to Prevent It: Runner鈥檚 knee is often caused by a combination of muscle tightness and weakness. Metzl recommends foam rolling your quads, hamstrings, and calves to increase flexibility. (Be sure to stretch as well.) Then strengthen your knees, hips, quads, and hamstrings鈥攐ptions include lunge matrices, squats, mountain climbers, and knee raises.

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Few track fans are as lucky as I am. Growing up in Eugene, Oregon, I spent many days and evenings of my youth on the edge of my bleacher at Hayward Field, surrounded on all sides by other spectators. The crowd was loud and passionate, clapping and stomping in unison every time the pack came around the turn and passed in front of us. The stadium felt volatile鈥攁nd would frequently erupt in a single roar. People were locked in to every second of action: even a pole vaulter or shot putter could bring the house down when they cleared a particularly high attempt or uncorked a long throw.

Seeing what鈥檚 possible as a spectator, at such a young age, made track and field feel electric鈥攂ut it also now puts the sport鈥檚 typical spectator experience into perspective. And last weekend鈥檚 annual U.S. outdoor track and field championships at a barren Hornet Stadium, on Sacramento State University鈥檚 campus (which, to be fair, I watched on TV) felt decidedly un-electric. It was genuinely difficult to watch鈥攁nd was the latest but plainest sign that track needs to have a major rethink about how it presents itself.

It鈥檚 no secret that track and field is hurting. Fans kvetch about it all the time: its popularity keeps declining, its governing bodies are corrupt, it鈥檚 riddled with performance-enhancing drugs, most professionals can hardly earn a living at it… the list is long. We can accept that most people only care about the sport for two weeks every four years, during the Olympics. NBC Sports will soon be broadcasting more track than it ever has before on TV and streaming online, as it听will be one of the main sports on its new听, launching July 15. But will it matter? I鈥檓 a committed viewer, and even I have trouble watching this stuff anymore. Pity the casual or curious viewer who wanted to give track a shot and tuned into this mess.

Last weekend, the unbearable weather was the main thing that most people () wanted to blame. Held in Sacramento, California, the meet was severely overcooked Thursday through Sunday, with temperatures often well above 90 degrees. Attendance figures were more than 29,000 over four days, but the stands, with a capacity of more than 21,000, appeared largely empty away from the finish line throughout the meet. (A USATF spokeswoman told me the advance ticket sales far outmatched the attendance.) The venue itself made the optics even worse. The small crowds, aluminum bleachers and gridiron markings on the infield gave USATF鈥檚 marquee annual event, our national championships, the look and feel of an all-comer鈥檚 meet.

NBC Sports, for its part, did little to salvage a difficult situation. Apart from and on the track this year, there was little drama or passion conveyed in many of the races, and sometimes no perspective at all (try and figure out what鈥檚 going on )鈥攈ardly what a championship competition deserves.

Athletes, meanwhile, did themselves no favors when NBC鈥檚 trackside reporter, Lewis Johnson, had a word with them after their race. While it鈥檚 surely difficult to be witty and insightful while panting, America鈥檚 best track athletes rarely strayed beyond the most boring sports platitudes, and too often revealed nothing at all about themselves.

It鈥檚 frustrating to see a sport you love look so amateurish. And it鈥檚 impossible not to wonder why, in an age where the quality of sports broadcasting is so high, does track look so lifeless, irrelevant, and uncool? Nobody seriously expects track and field to have the production values of the NFL. But there are several short- and long-term adjustments the sport could make to regain at least some of its appeal.

Embrace the Production Values of More Popular Sports

So many great sports moments are intertwined with the announcer鈥檚 call. The commentators are a vital part of the viewing experience鈥攖hey literally provide a soundtrack to the sport. Anyone who鈥檚 watched European soccer () knows that a good announcer is not just informative, but gives the event a feel and a texture, which track desperately needs more of right now. And storylines matter: the sport has more than a few characters, but broadcasters seem reluctant to fully embrace them. American running is in a good place right now, with lots of young talent plus several dominant stars at the peak of their careers, and a mix of budding and longstanding rivalries. They should be hyped up. , and there鈥檚 no point in adhering to stodgy values.

Provide Better Media Coaching to Athletes

It鈥檚 a massive letdown when you watch an athlete do something amazing, but then they fail to put any of it into words when given the chance in front of a microphone. A USATF spokeswoman told me that athletes do receive media training during their rookie years and ahead of major events (but not college athletes, of which there were many at this meet). Unfortunately, they often freeze up during those trackside interviews, which is the only opportunity most athletes will ever get to speak to a TV audience. If athletes want more fans, they need to put away the clich茅s and entertain. Be emotional. Be interesting. Talk trash. Stoke rivalries. Give us insight into what we just saw. The secret to fame isn鈥檛 necessarily about talent; it鈥檚 about being entertaining.

Get Sponsors to Promote the Sport and Their Athletes

Nike alone pumps millions of dollars into track. While the company often throws its considerable weight around the sport in unseemly ways, it鈥檚 not a stretch to say the Swoosh props up track and is inextricably intertwined with USATF. So why doesn鈥檛 the company want to cross-promote its athletes? Here鈥檚 an idea: Put one or two of Nike鈥檚 sponsored runners in an ad or social-media campaign with LeBron James or Kevin Durant during the NBA Finals, for example. Promoting runners alongside their marquee athletes is a win-win for the brand, since Nike controls an even bigger piece of track than it does most other sports. Resources alone don鈥檛 attract viewers to a sport鈥攆ans get hooked on the personalities. And no brand is better than Nike at cultivating sports personalities.

Pay More Attention to College Track and Field

Yes, this is outside the box. But people love college sports. Athletic departments should work to entice students in all sorts of ways to come out and watch鈥攎ost college tracks are right on campus anyway. One way might be by bringing back dual meets. Even someone who knows nothing about track will root for their school against its college rival. People might then follow their school鈥檚 athletes during their pro careers, but more simply, if broadcasters paid the same attention to runners鈥� alma maters as they do for basketball and football players, viewers might be more inclined to root for their fellow alumni.

American sports fans, even the committed track fans, just need reasons to watch. The USA singlet and waving a bunch of flags is not nearly enough鈥攂ut it鈥檚 what the sport has been coasting on for way too long. The sports industrial complex has changed. With its future at stake among a crowded, more viewer-friendly sports landscape, it鈥檚 way past time that track and field changes as well.

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In 2012, just months before that year鈥檚 Olympics, 800-meter runner felt a sharp pain under his kneecap. There had been no traumatic event. It just flared up one day during a regular training run. With a little trial and error, he quickly found that his pain abated when he ran at faster speeds. So he cut back on his mileage, and did all his easy runs at a quicker pace. Within a few weeks, he was pain free and on his way to racing the 800-meter final in London.听

鈥淚 didn鈥檛 see a doctor鈥擨 could just kind of tell that it didn鈥檛 hurt running fast, so I picked up my speed,鈥� Symmonds says. 鈥淚鈥檓 old-school like that.鈥� He had self-diagnosed his condition as runner鈥檚 knee鈥攐r 鈥攁 common injury in runners across all different levels. 听

Although Symmond鈥檚 treatment plan is far from the norm, all runner鈥檚 knee cases aren鈥檛 created equal. There鈥檚 no definitive cause for the pain, making its rehab complicated. Nor is there any one way it presents, so it has essentially become a catch-all term for when the kneecap or the surrounding area twinge听and bark听during your run. Sometimes听the pain can be strong enough to stop you in your tracks; in other instances, it's just enough to nag you for months on end.听
听
Variation aside, there are some measures you can take to treat and ultimately prevent . We talked to Michael Conlon, owner of in New York City, to mine the best advice on getting you back to 100听percent听for good. 听

What It Is

Normally, your kneecap moves smoothly along a groove in your femur bone every time you bend your knee. If it gets off track, your kneecap will twist and torque the tendons underneath听it. That鈥檚 what causes pain under or around the knee, Conlon says.听

Even at its worst, the pain outweighs the structural damage being done. Simply inflaming the tendons likely won鈥檛 cause long-term or permanent harm, says Conlon. But even if you can run through the pain, it鈥檚 best to get treated rather than continually toughing it out. You could be changing your stride to overcompensate for the discomfort, a surefire way to injure another part of your body.听

The Cause听

Usually the root problem is a combination of inflexibility, weak muscles, or imbalances that are听totally separate from the knee itself. 听鈥淚t鈥檚 not really an issue at the knee in terms of biomechanics,鈥� says Conlon. 鈥淭ypically听your knee is structurally sound, but a mobility or strength discrepancy anywhere from your spine听to your foot throws it off track during movement.鈥澨�

Overuse can exacerbate these imbalances. Ramping up your miles quickly or suddenly, , wearing the same shoes, or running on the same surfaces听can all听trigger patellofemoral pain, because your body isn鈥檛 equipped to take on the increased load.听

The Signs听

If you feel localized pain underneath or even around the kneecap while running, chances are you鈥檝e joined the ranks of runner鈥檚 knee sufferers. But you could feel it during your workday, too鈥攗sually when you walk downhill or down stairs or sit too long at a desk with your knees bent. 鈥淚t鈥檚 hard to isolate,鈥� Conlon says. 鈥淧eople often say it feels like their kneecap is floating. That鈥檚 inflammation of the tissues around the kneecap.鈥�

The Cure

Good news: it鈥檚 almost always treatable. But Symmonds鈥檚 experts-only method of running faster isn鈥檛 the recommended solution for most.

Consider taking a hiatus from running for a couple days, or at least backing off your mileage or pace. If you don鈥檛 give the inflamed tissue a break, you鈥檒l likely just make the pain worse. 鈥淚f your pain is moderate to severe at the beginning of a run, then don鈥檛 even start,鈥� Conlon says. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e better off doing something that鈥檚 pain free, like the elliptical or the bike.鈥�

Use the rest days to see a doctor of physical therapist. They can prescribe a therapy program specific to your case to expedite recovery. If you can鈥檛 get an appointment right away, Conlon recommends the following broad tips.听听

Heat: If you don鈥檛 have severe acute pain, steer clear of icing. , which you need for tissue to repair itself. Heat, such as warm baths or heating pads, are a better idea. 听

Rolling: Myofascial release with a , as it unlocks your hips and releases tightness in muscles. That increased mobility allows the rest of your body to move as it should to help get the knee tracking properly.

Sports massage: Similar to rolling, deep-tissue release through massage or lets an expert identify specific spots鈥攐r adhesions鈥攚here your muscle isn鈥檛 moving efficiently and could be compromising your stride.听

Prevention

First, sit less. It keeps the hips tight, which can prevent the patella from tracking in the joint properly.听

Second, add some variety to your footwear and runs. Rotate between several different pairs of shoes, change your speeds and distances, and run on varied surfaces. 鈥淪peed work is a great way to alter your biomechanics. As you run faster or slower, your gait changes so you maintain fluidity and openness in all your joints. You get more flex in the knees听and bigger range of motion in your hip,鈥� says Conlon.听

Third, learn to love your floor. Foam roll regularly and incorporate exercises, like the ones below, that focus on smaller muscles and change your range of motion to address imbalances and weakness.听

Exercises

For lasting biomechanical change (and improved injury protection), add these exercises to your regular workout routine a few times per week.听

Forward lunge and overhead press: with right leg bent to 90 degrees. Hold the position and raise your right听hand (dumbbell optional) over your head. Push right hip out towards your right side听slightly and tilt torso inward. Then alternate sides. Do ten听reps on each leg.听

Single-leg stance and rotational reach: Put your right hand on your right听hip and move your left foot a half-step back. Squat halfway down, bearing most of your weight on right leg, while bringing your left hand across your body, . Three times on each side counts as one rep. Do one set of ten听reps per side.

Single-leg stance and lateral reach: Put your right hand on your right听hip and move your left foot a half-step back. Squat halfway down, bearing most of your weight on right leg, . Three times on each side counts as one rep. Do one set of ten听reps听per side.听

Pivot lunge and reach: Start with feet shoulder-width apart and your听hands above your head. Lunge with your left foot back and rotate both arms across your body to the left. In one continuous motion, 听with your right foot leading, and pass听both arms to your right as you do so. Four steps counts as one rep. Do one set of ten听reps.听

Lunge matrix: with your right leg, then twist arms and torso to the right. Step back to the starting position, then lunge laterally to your right, again twisting both arms and torso to right. Return to starting position, then lunge backward while twisting both arms and hips to right. Then return starting position. Perform this matrix for one minute, doing three minutes on each side.听

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Reaching the finish line of a marathon takes planning, discipline, and a whole lot of sacrifice. For most runners, the race has been on their minds for months. But what about a plan for the moment after you cross the finish line? Besides a splurge meal and a cold adult beverage, most people don鈥檛 give much thought to what they should (and shouldn鈥檛) do in the hours, days, and weeks after a big race. What鈥檚 the best route to healing yourself and bouncing back as quickly and completely as possible?

We asked two top running coaches鈥�, in Boulder, Colorado, and Drew Wartenburg, of the , in Sacramento, California鈥攆or advice.

Immediately After the Race

For the vast majority of people running a marathon, this is a maximal effort; you will be tired and very thirsty. The first thing to do is attend to your immediate needs. 鈥淔irst and foremost is to get liquids in you,鈥� Hudson says. 鈥淕et a sports drink, Coke, it could be anything. And carbs鈥攕ugars, sweet stuff, fruit鈥攂ecause your body鈥檚 going to absorb anything it can right away. So whatever you can get in and is palatable to you, I would take immediately after the race.鈥�

According to Wartenburg, it鈥檚 also important to get comfortable as soon as you can. Most marathons are well equipped for recovery zones. 鈥淚f you鈥檙e cold, get warm,鈥� he says. 鈥淚f you鈥檙e wearing sweaty race clothes, get out of those. Then take a warm shower. Get clean and into comfortable clothes.鈥�

If you feel like soaking, Hudson says science suggests that hot and ice baths are both healthy, so do whichever sounds good to you.

A bit later, you will be really hungry. For that first meal, many runners crave something indulgent, like a giant burger, or they want to make good on a promise to themselves to splurge. That鈥檚 OK. In fact, a burger isn鈥檛 a bad idea. It gives you vital protein and plenty of other calories, so go for it if that鈥檚 appetizing. 鈥淵ou want to be good to your body as soon as you can after you finish,鈥� Wartenburg says. 鈥淏ut part of the trick is balancing what is ideal with a little bit of listening to what your body鈥檚 asking for.鈥� In other words: if it sounds good, contains lots of protein, and is packed with calories, go ahead and enjoy it.

If you want to celebrate (or forget about) your race with a drink or two, that鈥檚 fine, although Hudson says it鈥檚 better to wait a day if you can. Be sure to include plenty of water along with any beer, wine, or cocktails. And don鈥檛 stay out too late鈥攋ust because it鈥檚 liquid doesn鈥檛 mean it鈥檒l hydrate you. In fact, alcohol will do the opposite, which is precisely what your body doesn鈥檛 need to be dealing with right now.

This is a good time to mention that, with the race still so fresh, resist the urge to make big decisions鈥攚ait a bit before declaring you鈥檒l run another marathon or before swearing off the distance for good. 鈥淎 cardinal rule is wait till you wake up the next day before you agree to anything,鈥� Wartenburg says.

Finally, if you can get away with sleeping in the next morning, turn off the alarm before you go to bed. In the coming days, sleep and rest are incredibly important, so get as much as you can.

The Next Day

First things first: no running today. For many people, it鈥檚 the last thing they鈥檒l want to do, but others, especially those with a great race, may want to get back out there. Don鈥檛.

鈥淒o not do any impact exercise for five days,鈥� Hudson says. 鈥淵ou can get in the pool the next day, but I would not run. I know some people think running鈥檚 going to help recovery, but because the marathon is an impact thing and there are microtears in your muscles, you don鈥檛 need to run to get rid of lactate or anything like that. It鈥檚 not very smart to pound the body at all. So, really, I would take at least five days off. I usually have my athletes take seven to ten [days off].鈥�

Wartenburg agrees. He suggests a walk, cycling, or a bit of pool jogging. 鈥淚f you鈥檝e done a destination marathon and you鈥檙e in a hotel with a pool, maybe do some water running,鈥� he says. 鈥淚f you want to go for a swim, go for a swim. Move the body the day after the marathon just so you鈥檙e moving the blood and working out some kinks.鈥�

Along with not running, don鈥檛 do anything else intense. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 just common sense鈥攄on鈥檛 do crazy stuff,鈥� Hudson says. 鈥淎 lot of people, because it鈥檚 their time off, all of a sudden go hiking for three hours. Don鈥檛 do anything too out-of-the-ordinary strenuous.鈥�

Now could also be a good time to get a massage. Wartenburg recommends getting one within 24 hours of running to help flush muscles and repair the damage you鈥檝e done. Plus, it feels great.

Like on race day, be mindful of what you eat today. 鈥淛ust like you preload with carbs, you want to post-load with carbs,鈥� Hudson says. And again, sleep as much as you can.

The Next 5 Days

Nope, still no running yet. If you feel like moving around, stay low impact. An even better idea: do something different. 鈥淭his is a time when you can do other restorative things, like take a yoga class,鈥� Wartenburg says. 鈥淧ost-marathon is a great time to explore things that may not fit into the day when someone is in the throes of marathon training.鈥�

This week following the marathon is also the perfect time to tune up your body. Seek professional help in repairing the things that could keep you from resuming your running routine when you鈥檙e ready.

鈥淎 lot of people deal with little injuries or physical issues that pop up during training for a marathon,鈥� Wartenburg says. 鈥淥nce it鈥檚 over, it鈥檚 a great time to use some sort of restorative therapy鈥攎assage, straight physical therapy, or active-release therapy. Things that are going to allow you to come back restored or a better version of yourself. Time off is a great time to replace training time with appointments and just some general TLC for the body.鈥�

Enjoy the mental break, too. 鈥淔or most people, the marathon is going to represent a peak emotional effort,鈥� Wartenburg says. 鈥淭raining for a marathon is not easy, and the event itself is demanding, so taking a step back from having to get up every day and run can relieve pressure when it鈥檚 time to start back up again.鈥�

As for eating, remember that you鈥檙e no longer burning lots of calories like you were in the weeks and months before your marathon. Try to get back to being sensible. Don鈥檛 panic if you put on a couple pounds鈥攖hat鈥檚 totally normal.

鈥淟ook at what elite athletes do,鈥� Wartenburg says. 鈥淚n a recovery period, a lot of them let themselves go a little and put on a few pounds. You can鈥檛 be at racing weight year-round. As you begin to train again and get serious, you will get back to peak fitness, so I think it鈥檚 OK to say, 鈥業鈥檓 going to get a little softer, but I鈥檓 going to do it eating healthily.鈥欌��

7 to 10 Days After the Race

Are you ready to run again? OK, go ahead. But ease back into it slowly鈥攏o long runs, according to Hudson. Wait at least two weeks after your race before going long. In the meantime, run casually or do speedwork. Listen to your body and enjoy the feeling of getting back into running with your marathon behind you now that you鈥檙e rested and rejuvenated. Just as training is an essential part of running a marathon, so too is the recovery process鈥攁nd it should be taken every bit as seriously.

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Roughly once a month, Scott Hansen, a musician and graphic artist from San Francisco who records under the name Tycho, finds himself totally lost in nature鈥攊ntentionally. Hansen and his label mate, Christopher Willits, usually set off around noon somewhere among Northern California鈥檚 dense redwoods or along its coastline. Then they hike all night, without a map or a destination, until sunrise the following morning.

鈥淚t becomes this endurance thing, really meditative,鈥� says Hansen, 39, who was a competitive runner in high school and college. 鈥淵ou feel a slight element of fear. We鈥檙e in the woods at 3 a.m., it鈥檚 pitch black, and we鈥檙e barely finding our way on this trail. By the end of it, you鈥檙e just exhausted but also exhilarated.鈥�

With tongue firmly in cheek, he and Willits call these adventures 鈥渟pirit journeys.鈥� And for anyone familiar with Tycho鈥檚 music, these trips make perfect sense. Although Hansen makes music inside a dark and cramped Bay Area studio, the expansive sounds he emerges with seem made for the outdoors. He and his four-piece band鈥檚 instrumental music is variously characterized as post-rock, electronic, ambient, or chilled out. But Hansen says listeners often describe it more experientially鈥攖hat it evokes driving along the ocean, sitting in a meadow, or floating above a mountain.

Throughout Tycho鈥檚 four albums, his somewhat spare guitar and synth riffs are drenched in expansive-sounding reverb. The melodies evoke a kind of wistfulness and nostalgia, making ample use of minor chords as well as the kind of melancholic sounds produced by sixth and ninth chords鈥攖hink the ending of the Beatles鈥� 鈥淗elp鈥� and Adele鈥檚 鈥淗ello,鈥� respectively. It鈥檚 often driven by throbbing, midtempo bass lines and a snappy snare drum sound. It鈥檚 far too grounded in popular music to be described as New Age, but it鈥檚 also no coincidence that Hansen plays a popular sunrise DJ set at Burning Man every year.

鈥淚n the beginning, I was truly trying to take what I felt when I was in a field or in an outdoor space and directly translate it into the music,鈥� Hansen says. 鈥淭hat was the only way I found I could do it: I was a visual artist before, but I don鈥檛 feel like my skills ever caught up with the vision.鈥�

Hansen grew up on the undeveloped edges of suburbia in Sacramento, California, and lived a childhood of free rein over rolling hills, old farms, and the nearby American River. As a competitive track and cross-country runner, his workouts often took him deep into the forest. He says the mental high he got from physical exertion in nature is what he鈥檚 often attempting to convey.

鈥淚 wouldn鈥檛 call it psychedelic, but it was definitely one of my first experiences with feeling a disconnection from your body,鈥� he says. 鈥淭hat actual high was something I was very aware of and chasing after at a pretty young age.鈥�

Today, Hansen often chooses to tackle more personal emotions as musical themes and downplays the overt nature element. But, he says, it鈥檚 always in there. 鈥淚t鈥檚 like you鈥檙e going out [in nature] and you鈥檙e collecting this experience,鈥� Hansen says. 鈥淲hether you鈥檙e consciously channeling that into the work is kind of inconsequential鈥擨 think it鈥檚 what puts you into this state, and you鈥檙e gonna hold onto elements of that, and it鈥檚 going to find its way into the music. I would just say nature is the palette and not necessarily the content.鈥�

Nevertheless, the natural world exists as the main theme of his album art, tour posters, and video direction鈥攁ll of which he designs. They鈥檙e almost exclusively graphical representations of the sun, moon, water, monoliths (after all, the name Tycho is taken from 2001: A Space Odyssey), or celestial objects.

Even without any overt human aesthetic to the music, either through vocals or imagery, Tycho has enjoyed popular and critical acclaim. The band鈥檚 fourth album, Epoch, released in September, soon hit number one on Billboard鈥檚 electronic/dance albums chart and was recently in the category of best dance/electronica album. The album鈥檚 success represents an unlikely crossover for an instrumental artist.

As you might expect of a distance runner, Hansen works brutal, sleepless stretches at a desk in his studio. He is aware of the toll it can take on a body, and thanks to his athletic background, Hansen sees the relationship between physical wellness and creativity more astutely than most artists. To him, fitness means having the physical ability to put himself in a studio for weeks at a time.

鈥淚 start to get afraid that when you see artists drop off, it鈥檚 maybe because they鈥檝e lost the ability to really push themselves into this heightened state,鈥� he says. In that way, being active in nature also serves as training for his work.

鈥淪ometimes I wonder if I鈥檓 just memorializing my youth when I spent all this time outdoors,鈥� Hansen says. 鈥淚 always envisioned my adult life like I鈥檓 going to run every day and live in the woods in a cabin if I can鈥攁nd here I am living in San Francisco and working in a studio. It鈥檚 almost like I make music that makes me feel OK about the fact that I鈥檓 not out there actually experiencing nature.鈥�

Hansen has been on an extended break since the release of Epoch and gets outside as often as he can ahead of a busy 2017. The band has toured extensively in Asia and Europe and is a fixture at large outdoor festivals like Coachella. Hansen is now gearing up for an Australian and Asian tour at the start of the year, which then will take him through the United States and around Europe.

But the band鈥檚 final show of 2016, a set at the Treasure Island Music Festival in San Francisco, was memorable. As they had done all weekend, the skies opened up and poured torrents of rain during Tycho鈥檚 performance. There are few bands for which this would seem more appropriate; naturally, Hansen and his fans wouldn鈥檛 have had it any other way.

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