iRunFar: Respect the 72 recovery protocol

iRunFar published physiotherapist Joe Uhan’s “Respect the 72: Recovery Protocol for Connective Tissue Integrity” on May 14, 2026, laying out a simple rule for the days after an ultramarathon: do less, even if the legs feel ready for more. The article targets runners in the narrow period after a 50- or 100-mile effort, when soreness may be easing but tissue repair is still underway. Uhan wrote that the first 72 hours after a hard effort are the period of highest hidden risk for tendons, fascia and other connective tissues. He framed the protocol as a way to reduce the chance of post-race injuries that can surface after runners resume loading too quickly. ### Why 72 hours, and not just until soreness fades? Joe Uhan wrote on May 14 that a runner can feel noticeably better by the second day after an ultramarathon and still be in what he called a vulnerable recovery window. The article opens with that exact scenario: day one is spent resting and eating, day two brings less soreness and more restlessness, and that is when he says runners should resist the urge to test their legs. (irunfar.com) The key distinction in Uhan’s piece is between muscle recovery that feels obvious and connective-tissue recovery that does not. He wrote that post-race inflammation sets off a repair process that is meant to heal damage but temporarily leaves connective tissues compromised. That means the body can feel improved before tissues that absorb and transfer force are ready for normal training loads. (irunfar.com) ### Which tissues is the protocol trying to protect? The article names connective tissues including fascia and tendons as the structures carrying the main concern after ultra-distance stress. Uhan wrote that these tissues absorb impact forces and transfer energy with every stride, and that injuries involving them — including plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendinopathy and patellar tendinopathy — are often among the slowest to resolve. (irunfar.com) Uhan attributed that slow recovery to two factors: high loading during running and relatively limited blood flow in connective tissue. In his account, that combination helps explain why a runner can avoid an obvious fall, sprain or acute strain and still emerge from a race with tissue that is chemically stressed and more vulnerable in the short term. (irunfar.com) ### What is the article actually telling runners to do? The protocol centers on reduced loading for about 72 hours after a long, difficult effort. Uhan’s article does not present the rule as complete inactivity so much as strategic restraint: he summarizes the approach as resting now to avoid a larger injury cost later. The piece is written for ultrarunners who often race or train again before deeper recovery is complete. (irunfar.com) By placing the advice in iRunFar’s Stay the Course column, the site positioned it as practical guidance for athletes and the coaches or clinicians around them rather than as a formal medical guideline. ### Who is Joe Uhan, and why does that matter here? (irunfar.com) iRunFar identifies Joe Uhan as a physiotherapist in the article and across his author pages on the site. In other iRunFar biographies, the outlet says Uhan owns and operates Uhan Performance Physiotherapy in Eugene and Sisters, Oregon, and offers coaching and running analysis. His background in the sport is also part of how iRunFar presents the advice. (irunfar.com) The site says Uhan ran his first ultra in 2010, placed fourth at the 2015 USATF 100k Trail National Championships and finished ninth at the 2012 Western States 100. ### Where does this fit in iRunFar’s broader recovery coverage? iRunFar has published earlier recovery guidance, including Uhan’s “Six Strategies for Effective Mid-Season Ultramarathon Recovery” in 2025 and older sitewide pieces on post-race recovery. (irunfar.com) The new article narrows that broader topic to one specific message: connective tissue may need more caution than a runner’s day-two sensations suggest. (irunfar.com) The May 14 article is available on iRunFar in the Stay the Course section under the headline “Respect the 72: Recovery Protocol for Connective Tissue Integrity.” iRunFar’s homepage and article page say the outlet is also covering the Zegama Marathon in Spain this week, placing the recovery piece into the site’s current spring racing coverage. (irunfar.com 1) (irunfar.com 2)