Racing 6 days after a marathon

After the Victoria Marathon, I managed to get our for one run before my next race this past weekend. My Friday afternoon run was a recovery of sorts, difficult to say the least: accumulated fatigue in my hamstrings, a lack of flow--starting and stopping, it was a run to forget. But those types of runs need to happen to get the engine rolling again, and I did want at least one in my pocket before my XC race Saturday, 6 days after the Victoria Marathon. Of all the stuff I have read on recovery after a marathon, nothing that I have found says that it is a good idea to race so close to such a hard effort. The skeletal system, cellular system, mind, and rest of the body need time to repair. I threw caution to the wind and headed to North Van.