Post-Race Blues: What, Why, and Strategies
You did it! You ran that race and hit your PR. You’re riding that high…until you’re not. As the day’s go on you feel lost and low. All your problems aren’t solved. You’re the same person with a lot more aches and pains. These are the feelings many feel after spending months working towards a race goal. Accepting them and dealing with them the right way is an important part of your offseason.
What are post-race blues:
It’s a combination of physical, mental, and emotional factors our body experiences from the rigors of months long training for a big goal and hard racing. You’re body's beat up and experiencing elevated levels of cortisol (the stress hormone) with depressed levels of endorphins (the happy hormone), your reason to get up at 5am for a run is now gone so you’re missing the routine of training, and your identity as “I’m a runner training for _____” has now been replaced by…well…nothing.
What do I do about it:
Talk to people: Let the inside thoughts outside so you can gain some perspective with your peers and family. Most people have dealt with some form of post-race blues in others forms of life (after a promotion, buying that expensive car, etc…) and can relate to those feelings. It can be cathartic to speak those feelings out loud.
Have a recovery plan: Try and figure out how you’ll spend your time between seasons in a productive way. Pick a hobby you’ve wanted to try or catch up with old friends in a spin class you’ve missed while training. Creating productive time can help fill that routine and expand your identity from “I’m a runner” to “I’m a person with many interests.”
Let your body recover: Faster or slower, the physical toll of racing season catches up to us all. You need to take break. according to a study from the Journal of Sports Medicine, It takes 7 days for your body’s aerobic capacity to fully recover from a marathon. Think of it like this: Post race your body is in a full on kitchen remodel that’ll be better and beautiful once it’s done…but you have to let the workers (i.e. your body) work.
Talk to a professional: If you find your blues become a little worse over the next few weeks or don’t improve, consult a mental health professional who can help your mind recover, just as you would see a physical therapist for your body to to.
