I think I have figured it out!
I believe I am suffering from Post Race Blues.
This past week has been nothing short of pulling teeth to get myself to workout.
You’ve probably heard me moaning and complaining on twitter about trying to get myself motivated to workout!
After my 10-mile race, I felt amazing…on cloud nine and barely sore. I only had to take 1 day off for recovery, and then I was able to workout last Tuesday.
But. I. have. just. been. dragging.
I’m sure the weather is also partly to blame. We’ve had rain literally every day this past week which has kept me inside on the treadmill.
But today, after a rather tormenting workout on the treadmill, I started to wonder:
Is there such a thing as Post Race Blues or Post Race De-Motivation?
Now after my 10k race, I had oodles of motivation. I wanted to go for a run and re-experience that race ‘high’ that I felt. But since the 10 miler, I haven’t felt a big urge to run. I’m sure it has something to do with the rain, but I also think that I might be suffering from a mild case of Post Race Blues!
So of course the first thing I did when I got off the treadmill today was Google my theory. And of course, I found several articles on this very subject. The most popular term I found was ‘Post Race Depression’. I don’t like to call what I am feeling depression; although I am sure that does happen to some people! I am dealing with some major lack of motivation here!
I found an article called “Post Race Depression: How to overcome the blues after a marathon”.
The beauty about this article is that it can apply to any form of exercise or training. Many of you compete in various sports or athletic events and have probably felt the same thing. I know I used to feel post-playoff blues after our softball tournaments when the season drew to a close. And I always feel a bit blue when hockey season ends (lol)!
In the article Tyler Cash offers some ways to cope with post race blues:
1. Catch up with your family and friends
Training for a race can really deplete our time- especially if one is training for a marathon. Tyler suggests reconnecting with family and friends and painting the town red!
2. Do something else you love to do
Everyone tends to have at least a couple activities they enjoy. For me, I love hiking. The weather has been preventing me from doing so, but the next nice day I plan to get out and hike for a change of pace.
3. Maintain your level of fitness
Tyler says, “Yes, your body needs to recover from the marathon, but that doesn’t mean you need to stop exercising completely.” In the back of my mind I have been thinking, ‘I ran a 10 mile race last week so I don’t need to push it on with my workout intensity.’ While I think that is true when the body is in recovery following the race, I also think I was using this as an excuse to slack off.
4. Time heals all wounds
Tyler reminds us that this too shall pass. Soon you will be back into your normal training regime and focusing on a new goal. I have signed up for the Toronto Half Marathon as a way to encourage myself to get back into the game.
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So yes, my exercise funk will pass, as will the bad weather. It is comforting to know that I am not the only one who has gone through something like this!
With that being said, I also think that part of my de-motivation has been my body actually being more tired than normal. I don’t read many articles on lethargy following a race (it’s mostly just on muscle soreness), but I have felt quite lethargic for the past week. I’m sure a lot of it is mental, but it can’t be entirely.
Today’s question:
have you ever suffered from Post Race Blues? What what it from and how did you feel? Did it affect your normal exercise routine or motivation?