The Final Stage: How (and How Not) to Recover After an Adventure Race

There’s a lot of conversation about what goes into training for big multi-day adventure races, but there’s not a lot about the recovery afterwards and what your body goes through.

Sara George had first-hand experience with this after competing in The Magnificent expedition race earlier this year, and here’s what she found.

I’m relatively new to the world of week-long expedition racing. I’m also working full-time and a mum to a busy two-year-old, which adds another layer to the logistics, the training, and, as I’ve recently learned, the recovery.

Earlier this year, I raced The Magnificent, a multi-day expedition race in Aotearoa with big terrain, long days, very little sleep, and a type of challenge that gets under your skin in the best and hardest way. It was one of the most incredible things I’ve done, but what surprised me most wasn’t the race itself. It was what happened after.

Because in true life, endurance sport meets logistics, the logistics didn’t stop at the finish line. We packed up and drove from Gore back to Christchurch with Frankie, the aforementioned busy two-year-old, in tow.

The Playground stop with Frankie. 

Somewhere along the way, we stopped at a playground, and I remember trying to move properly after days of racing. Climbing, lifting, and even walking across uneven ground felt ridiculously hard. I watched other parents pushing swings and chasing toddlers with ease and found myself thinking, what do they think is wrong with me? Meanwhile, I was just trying to function in a body that felt completely offline.

That moment stuck with me. You don’t just finish an expedition race. You carry it with you into whatever real life is waiting on the other side.

You cross the finish line wrecked and emotional, already thinking about how good it was. You hug your teammates, eat the meal you have been dreaming about, and sit down for a minute, only to realise standing up again is a serious challenge. Then you go home.

And that is where the final stage begins.

Catching 10 minutes rest in Clinton.

After The Magnificent, I expected sore muscles and fatigue. What hit instead went far deeper. Swollen legs, numb hands and feet, exhaustion that sleep didn’t fix, and a full-blown sugar phase that was completely out of character. The biggest surprise was the post-race blues, all while needing to show up for work and a toddler who just wants you present.

As experienced adventure racer Peter Joynt (Team Sardines, winners of The Magnificent 2025) put it, “The AR come down is real.” That line stuck with me because it perfectly captured what I couldn’t quite explain at the time.

4 black toenails and very swollen feet.

Physically, it makes sense. Adventure racing is extreme. Multi-day movement, minimal sleep, constant decision-making, stress, and compromised nutrition place a huge load on the body.

Andy Magness, with decades of experience in adventure racing as both an athlete and race director, summed it up best: “It’s f*cking hard. You are asking a LOT of your body.”

And that load doesn’t just disappear when you cross the line. It lingers. In your body, in your brain, and often in ways you don’t fully understand until you’re back in normal life trying to function.

Finishing the race and arriving perfectly for the post-race meal.

One of the biggest mistakes I made was treating the finish line as the end of support. Everything was organised up to that point, then suddenly it stopped. My husband was away with work, routines kicked in, and I was straight back into work, childcare and daily responsibilities with very little left in the tank.

Looking back, recovery needed to be part of the plan, not an afterthought. That transition from an intense team environment back into everyday life, especially with a young child, was one of the hardest parts.

Pre-Race Swim Test.

There is also the temptation to bounce straight back. To train, to catch up, to prove you are fine. I definitely fell into that trap and quickly realised my Achilles needed a good six weeks off running, which meant it was bike-only for a while.

It’s easy to mistake adrenaline for recovery, but feeling good doesn’t always mean you are actually recovered.

What I’ve learned is that recovery needs to be intentional. Sleep, hydration, real food, and gentle movement matter more than any structured session in those early days. Sometimes that looks like a slow walk around the park with Frankie rather than anything that feels like training. It still counts.

First Rogaine of race.

The mental side is just as real. You go from an intense, shared experience with your team straight back into everyday life. There’s often no space to properly process what you’ve just done.

And when that reset doesn’t happen, it shows up in other ways. Fatigue that lingers, motivation that dips, or just a general sense that something feels off.

If there is one takeaway from chatting to other adventure racers, it is this. 
Do not just train for the race. Train for the recovery.

Race snacks – note no planning of protein or post-race snacks!

Plan time off. Extend your support window. Expect the comedown. Respect the load you have put on your body. Build yourself a simple recovery plan, even if it is just a few days focused on those all-important factors of sleep, hydration, real food, and gentle movement.

Because recovery is what determines whether you come back stronger, or whether it quietly takes more out of you than you realise.

A few weeks post-race back slowly adventuring with Frankie.

A few weeks later, I was back at a playground with Frankie. This time, I could move, lift, and actually be present.

No one else would have noticed the difference. But I did.

Because that is what a good recovery gives you. Not just the ability to race again, but the ability to come back into your life and feel like yourself again.

The finish line is not the end.

Recovery is the final stage.

Thanks to the racers who generously shared their experiences and insights to help shape this perspective.

Sara George is 1/3 of the Adventure Racing team ‘The Freewheelers,’ taking part in this year’s Spring Challenge and part of another team in this year’s Magnificent Adventure Race earlier in the year. 

5 Tips for Post-Adventure Race Recovery:

1. Plan time off for after the race to recover, the race doesn't end when you cross the finish line and recovery should be taken just as seriously.
2. Extend your support window - like you'd have a support crew in a race; you may need that same crew helping you while you recover. Things like childcare, someone to walk your dog etc. 
3. Be prepared for the come down. You've just had an amazing time, achieved something really great with your team and real-life hits hard so be gentle with yourself. 
4. Respect and remember the load you have just put your body under - start to bring movement back to your body slowly and gently. 
5. Make sure you're getting good sleep, proper food and enough hydration in your recovery!

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