Recovery is where your body adapt to the training you have done. So to really improve your running you have to work at perfecting your recovery as well as your training. Here are some tips on what to do post run to help that recovery process
Once your finished the main part of your run, run easy and gently for 5 minutes. This gradually cools the body and lowers your heart rate so the body can start to ease back down safely. If you are running a fast session coast to a stop, don't decelerate too fast to reduce the forces in your legs.
Next; gently stretch. Target all the main leg muscles and shoulders (working hard for breathing). For a post run stretching routine just drop me an email.
Shower; hot showers will warm and loosen muscles. There is new evidence to show that cold/ice showers or baths slow the immediate post run recovery. If anywhere is sore, swollen or hot to the touch rest, ice, compression and elevation is needed immediatly, and then assessment by a medical professional.
Eat a snack! You can find out more on the types of things to eat here; https://www.ontherunhealthandfitness.co.uk/blog/eating-for-recovery
Relax, keep gently moving, don't sit down too much. Ideally don't jump straight into a car for a longer journey, or sit down at a desk. Keep getting up and gently moving around to avoid stiffness and encourage blood flow to remove waste products from the muscles and send them the nutrients they need to recover.
Eat a balanced main meal later in the day to refuel with the nutrients needed to rebuild and recover.
Sleep - 8 hours a night is no myth. Your body recovers (from training and life) and rebuilds as you s. Less sleep means less recovery and therefore less adaptation to training. This leads to lower performance and higher injury risk.
Check in with yourself and your fatigue levels before your next run. Still sore? Run easier or shorter.
In the longer term think about how you plan your training. Allow time for rest days and really rest on them; minimise the time on your feet and don't be tempted to cross train. Every 3-4 weeks have a week where you cut back on your mileage and intensity to allow your body to recover and adapt.