Two days after the marathon, the main signal was muscular fatigue rather than pain: the quads still felt heavy, but the general discomfort eased as the run progressed and never became focal or sharper.
The 4.8 km recovery run was completed in 36:11 at 7:38/km with an average heart rate of 132 bpm. Some of the faster middle sections raised heart rate more than necessary for a recovery session, but the overall effort remained controlled.
There is no reason to test fitness yet. The marathon is still the dominant training stimulus, so the priority remains restoring normal leg feel before returning to structured training.
Takeaway. Take tomorrow as a rest day from running. For the next run, keep the effort deliberately easy even if the legs begin to loosen up, with no strides, progression or faster finish.
Next step. Post-marathon recovery run. Short easy run focused entirely on circulation and recovery. Pace is only a loose reference; the legs should dictate the effort.