LOLZLetter 141 | Don't Let Post Race Blues Knock You Out
Welcome,
Last week was a blur. I started in Wilkes Barr, was in Syracuse, went back to Virginia, flew to Charlotte, landed in Nevada, and got back to the desert in California. On my trip last week, I drove over 2000 miles (including to/from las vegas and Virginia to Syracuse. I'm not sure why I'm telling you this, maybe that I'm tired.
Or maybe I have some post trip blues? I went from seeing so many friends to now staring at cacti. The highs of seeing so many people I haven’t seen in nearly two years to being back in the desert.
This week's newsletter is about post-race blues. It's normal to feel sad when a training cycle comes to an end. You've likely been working hard for your race moment for weeks or months. Now what?
What are Post Race "Blues"?
It's a feeling of sadness after a race is complete. It might not happen in every major race you run, and you cannot control when it comes. It might come after you have a breakthrough, but it might come when a race doesn't go as planned.
It also isn't something to take "lightly" and to say, "oh, I'll just get over it."
It can lead to something more serious like depression. Like a small niggle beginning to form, it's essential to treat it appropriately when you first notice it. Everyone from professional athletes to beginner runners to the weekend warriors has dealt with post-race blues.
Why does it happen?
We know training for a race takes a lot of time and energy. You spend months preparing, including running, stretching, eating well, going to bed early, and even missing social events. Just for one big day! After the race, you might suddenly feel like you have "all of this extra time on your hands."
It's essential to recover and not jump right back into training! The downtime is important. When you go from training hard to recovering, it's a huge mental jump!
So how can you beat post race blues?
Recover:
Recovering is training! But, recovering is easier said than done. Sometimes after training hard, the last thing you mentally want to do is sit around and relax. Not taking downtime can lead to burnout or injury. Even though you might "feel fine," running is hard on your body, and you might have minor aches and pains you don't know about. Taking time after a big race, especially a marathon, allows these minor aches and pains to heal. Your body is not healed 3 days after a marathon. Who wants to go into the next training cycle injured?
Splurge and Treat Yourself:
Splurge doesn't mean spending thousands of dollars on a new item, and splurging also doesn't have to be food related. It can mean do something you felt as though you "didn't have time for" while training.
It can be something like getting your hair done, go to a spa, hang out in a coffee shop, go to a museum you've always wanted to check out, hang out with friends that have different schedules than your normal, stay out late, there are so many ways to splurge. Just make it fun and meaningful to you!
Set Up a Plan Beforehand:
Before your goal race, make yourself a plan of what to do after. Instead of being reactive to a post race blues situation, be proactive. But also be flexible.
You might initially say: I will give myself two weeks off from running. Then after your race, realize you need more time. That's okay! That happened to me after my first marathon, I thought two weeks would be more than enough, but the reality was I needed about a month. My body didn't want to run but neither did my mind! Be flexible.
Discover new hobbies:
Your hobbies don't need to involve working out. Find something that brings you joy. You might discover you love sewing or redecorating your house!
I always recommend staying busy in the time you are "usually running." Sometimes the most challenging time mentally is the time we are usually running. If you are bored and thinking of running, of course, you will miss it more.
Work through your emotions:
Working through post race emotions is just as important as working through an injury. Your emotions are valid and mental health is essential. You shouldn't feel shame or sad that you feel a certain way. Take time to process your training cycle, your race, and where you are now.
Finally, don't be afraid to seek professional help.
If you believe you are suffering from depression, it's essential to seek help. Friends and family are great, but sometimes we need more than that, and that's okay too.
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