Post Race Depression

This is something that has become more prevalent the longer I continue to coach. How many times have you spent 6 months, 12 months or more training for an A type race, completing your goal, feel all the warm fuzzies after the race and being overwhelmed with excitement but several weeks later you have no motivation to exercise. No motivation or desire to do another long race or start training.

This typically happens after an athletes first long race accomplishment like a full Ironman, marathon or ultra race. It can also happen after years of doing these types of races. The athlete has trouble figuring out what to do next. They don't want to do the long miles or races. They've done it and they just are not motivated to go out and do it all over again.

So what now? What is next? How can this be fixed?

Here are my top 4 tips for helping get out of this depression

#1 Time- Give yourself time to recover both mentally and physically. Your body requires a great deal of time to recover from long endurance races. Your body is worn down, your immune system is low so the last thing you want to do is start exercising again a few days after a big race. This is typically when athletes get sick or injured is because they start back to soon and do not give the body and mind time to heal and recover. There are exceptions depending on the individual and what there race season looks like. After my first Ironman I took a full two weeks off. After my first 50 miler I took a month off. I did nothing training wise. I enjoyed my free time to do things I didn't get to do because I was engulfed in training every day. Let yourself enjoy free time and take a break from training. Your body and mind will thank you!

#2 Change- Doing the same races year after year can be fun but it can also get very monotonous and boring. For me it started to make me resent the art of running, cycling and swimming. The same people, the same courses, nearly the same weather, it really took the fun out of it and I lost motivation to work out. It started to become a job instead of a fun, healthy hobby. Go train and race on different courses in different towns and states, trails, etc. Let yourself experience different venues, people, environments, weather, food. It will really help stimulate the body and mind and help you remember why you started doing this in the first place. #3 Comfort Zone- If you have spent the last several years in run racing or triathlon racing one can get burnt out without knowing it until it is too late. Incorporate different cross training into your routine like yoga, cycling, swimming, weight training if you are run training. It will help stimulate your body and mind. It is something you should be doing anyway to build a strong core, increase the strength of stabilizing muscles and muscle density and reduce your risk for injury. Also think about signing up and training for something outside of your primary sport and get a little out of your comfort zone! If all you have ever done is road racing, sign up for a trail race. Think about signing up for a cycling event or even a triathlon! It will break the monotony and give you a better appreciation for what else is out there. You'll meet new people, learn new things and keep your body and mind engaged and active. After my first trail race I was hooked. It made me realize how much I enjoyed the outdoors and how boring the road can be sometimes. Just like cleaning up a computer and rebooting it. We all need to be rebooted from time to time!

#4 Data Free- Go run, go swim, go bike, go hike and do it however you like, just not with a watch. A little bit of Dr Zeuss there except he probably didn't do much of this exercise stuff.

Having a true off season and exercising just to do it without worrying about certain paces, heart rates, intervals etc.. Just go out and enjoy exercising and being outside and healthy without worrying about specific training parameters. It can really help recharge the mind and help you enjoy running again and get you out of that depression. It can be very freeing!

-It's all about the journey!

#coachray

#mindrightendurance