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Runners World Articles: Archives The Postrace Blues I often hear the same story. It goes like this. A woman spends months training for a big race, usually a marathon. The event is a career first-one of those goals she always thought she wanted to achieve but never thought, until now, that she was capable of reaching. Crossing the finish line is the proudest moment of her life. Then, for weeks following this peak experience, she struggles to get out the door. Running, quite simply, has lost its appeal. Oh, you, too? Indeed, thousands of runners feel this postrace letdown each year. And for good reason. It’s really tough to suddenly shift from a four- to six-month training plan back to the routine of everyday life. The higher your emotions soar on the day of achievement, the lower you tend to feel afterward. After running in the 1972 Munich Olympics, it took me six months to regain my zest for training and racing. That’s probably because it’s just so easy to depend upon that goal race for your motivation. The good news: you can get through this slump. All you need are the right strategies to feel mentally and spiritually energized. Here’s what works: Sign on the dotted line. Sign up for another race while still training for your big day. It doesn’t matter what your new goal is, because it’s okay to change it later. Even a temporary goal will build a motivational bridge through the difficult period of postrace recovery. Once you hit your big day, use a calculator or training log to plot out the running you’ll need to do to reach the new goal that now looms ahead. There are also several software programs that will generate your next training schedule based upon a few pieces of information. These have many advantages, including the automatic process of logging on and receiving your daily workout. Most runners receive a sense of motivational security from this process. Shift gears. If your first mission was to finish a marathon, for example, choose a different type of challenge afterward, such as a scenic running trip. The logistics of the trek to the trail will engage your creativity and planning skills during the tapering and rest periods before your initial big race and during the recovery afterward. Each trip should provide a touch of challenge, lots of fun and a workout that will help you accomplish your next goal. For example, try running a speed session on a wooded trail. Rehearse your training. Thinking about running goes a long way toward getting you out the door. The more you can rehearse each daily run after the big day, the easier it will be to run as planned. For example, two days after the race, visualize that you are running and walking for 30 to 40 minutes slowly. Two days later, see yourself out there for 40 to 50 minutes, possibly with friends. Your running beckons. Life is good. Get 20/20 hindsight. After the race, look back on your training and racing strategy. What did you do right? What should you have done differently? Analyzing a disappointing performance will help you pinpoint key problem areas that need more work. By doing some fine-tuning, you’ll learn more about yourself and your running, and you’ll get over the race more quickly. After a good performance, visualize what youÕd do next time to make the training experience better, faster and more fun. Write down these notes, and the path to your next goal will be smoother and straighter. Run with a group. During the four to eight weeks before your goal race, start assembling a social running group to run with afterward. Social runs can entertain you as you share jokes, gossip and running goals. Many recovering marathoners find it motivational to work out with beginning runners. By going slower than usual, you can easily converse with your new set of aerobic friends.
From Runner's World, October 1998, p. 36
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