My fellow fishes were talking about it and I was feeling it a little, but along with my excitement for the marathon, I also had my Marine coming home that same day. I got to have my whole family home the week after the Marathon. But now it has hit. What now? I read a lot of articles, and liked this one from about.com:
Tips for Recovering from the Post-Race Blues
How to Get Over Feeling Sad After a Marathon or Other Race
Updated March 01, 2013
It's very common for runners to feel bummed-out, disappointed, sad, maybe even depressed after they finish a big race, like a marathon. After spending months training hard and focusing on a goal, you feel down and disconnected once the race is over. The training and preparation that was such a big part of your life and now it's gone.
Every night the Group texting would start about our running plans for the next day. Then there was planning long runs and events that we needed.. NEEDED.. go big!!! Then there was planning our shirts and our group text "fights" over how big our fish should be. I mean there was never a dull moment. so much planning, where would we stay, who would drive us, when could we get taped, Remember to roll.. remember to drink your Ensure... ha ha...
A lot of posts tried to compare it to different let downs.. After the Honeymoon. Ha ha.. the day after Christmas. After a well planned and anticipated vacation. But really none of those compare. It is worse. sure, we could plan and do it again, but it will never be the same, it will never be as magical. This was an amazing journey from the moment I hit send entering the lottery to the "reward". so, ya... bummed out I am..
The good news is that there are ways to fight the post-race blues, or at least soften the blow. Here are some things to try:
Every night the Group texting would start about our running plans for the next day. Then there was planning long runs and events that we needed.. NEEDED.. go big!!! Then there was planning our shirts and our group text "fights" over how big our fish should be. I mean there was never a dull moment. so much planning, where would we stay, who would drive us, when could we get taped, Remember to roll.. remember to drink your Ensure... ha ha...
A lot of posts tried to compare it to different let downs.. After the Honeymoon. Ha ha.. the day after Christmas. After a well planned and anticipated vacation. But really none of those compare. It is worse. sure, we could plan and do it again, but it will never be the same, it will never be as magical. This was an amazing journey from the moment I hit send entering the lottery to the "reward". so, ya... bummed out I am..
The good news is that there are ways to fight the post-race blues, or at least soften the blow. Here are some things to try:
Be prepared for the letdown.
Make plans for the weeks following your big race, so that you'll be distracted from that disappointed feeling. I know a lot of runners who plan a big trip after a marathon, which works perfectly if you're already traveling to the race destination. Sticking around and taking in some sites will be a nice way to celebrate your accomplishment. The timing works on two levels – you don't have to worry about training while you're away and the traveling prevents you from getting bummed-out that your race is over.Review your race -- and then move on.
If part of your sadness is due to the fact that you weren't happy about your performance, take some time to think about what went wrong. You may even want to write about it in your training journal or blog, to help you work through it. But don't dwell on it – spend a little analyzing it, and then move on to start thinking about your next race.Some of us are signed up for the Butch Cassidy and/or the Bakers half in Hurricane.. I hope my knee will let me. I'm ready to start running again, but my knee, not so much. =(
Appreciate your free time.
Once your race is finished, you'll have a lot more time to enjoy parts of your life that you neglected during training. Spend more time with family and friends, catch up on your reading, pick up a new hobby, or get back to any other activities that you sacrificed while training.Sleep is the only thing that I've been trying to catch up on.. ha ha.
Set a new goal.
The best way to cure the post-race blues is to decide what you want to do next. It doesn't have to be a big race, like a half or full marathon. You may want to train for a 10K, or just aim to run at least three days a week. You may even decide to try a totally new sport, like swimming or biking, to supplement your running.My new goal is to see if I can down a tub of Blue bunny bunny tracks all by myself. =0).. pretty sure i can.
Savor your accomplishment.
Do a little bragging and make sure you have a prominent reminder -- a medal, bib, finisher's certificate, or photo -- of your race, so you don't lose sight of your achievement. And don't forget this quote from Dr. Seuss: "Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened."I pretty much think everyone is sick of hearing about our marathon... Ha ha. but we can relive it forever. We are still planning to get together so we can hear everyones first hand account. See!! that's another thing, we use to see eachother all the time, ususally early early mornings... but now we don't even see each other... =(
Tomorrow is 13 days since the marathon!!! Hey Fishies... We need our post marathon get together!! yay!!
No comments:
Post a Comment