Image: Sacha Specker – Looking forward to new goals.
A week has gone. The blues have come and gone. I think. So, what now? I would like to focus on speed work for the rest of the year and possibly breaking my current time now. A few good half marathons are coming up like Winelands (which was my first ever) and Mitchell’s Plain which is very flat and fast. Both are in November so I would have to pick one and work towards that. So I guess one would say that’s my next goal…. Training for Two Oceans starts Jan, but that’s a long time away.
So, how have I been after the Marathon and the whole experience?
Well, directly after it was an incredible feeling. I knocked six mins off my PB. As one can imagine the adrenalin is pumping, the soreness hasn’t started yet. The next day, Ouch! Walking downstairs was a bit of a struggle but none the less I still felt on top of the world. Let’s fast forward to the Wednesday after the race. Oh boy, why am I feeling like this? I managed to do a little, short run which felt ok. But something was still missing. Although having achieved what I set out to do, I felt somewhat lost. Why was this? I’m no expert on this, but I feel it was because I had set out to do something, worked so hard at it for months, achieved it and now it was all over. I threw so much emotion into the prep and training leading up that once it’s done, you feel somewhat empty and lost. I read these two great articles on post-marathon blues and recovery which helped me immensely, have a read if you like.
Here are some tips that I gathered from talking to people, reading and figuring out what works best for me. Everyone reacts and responds differently. This is what seemed to work out well for me:
Get outdoors (if your legs permit you) – I know, I know you’ve just spent the morning of race day outdoors but going at your own pace and allowing time to stop and smell the roses helps. Breathing in fresh air and not sitting around inside too much can help, but still, go slow.
Walking – from quite a few people of experience have told me that walking can help. I did this a few days after, and I felt it somewhat relaxing, going slow and using different muscles.
Eat well – I tend to eat healthy anyway, but, leading up to the race I ate more carbs than I usually would. So, post race I was craving all things green and leafy. I’m a firm believer in ‘Eat well, and your mind will follow.’ I started to feel a little human again.
Treat yourself – Indulge in whatever it is that maybe you were holding off on pre-race. For some, it may have been sweets. For me, I didn’t drink four weeks leading up to the race. I honestly don’t know if it had any effect on me for the race, but I feel mentally it did help. I indulged in a glass of red the Tuesday after the race, and it went down very well.
Rest (sleep in’s needed) – I don’t know about all you out there that have done marathons, but the day-of I am not usually tired. The days following, however, I am exhausted. On a weekly basis, I am up every day to train at 5 am. So, a little sleep in till 7-7 30 is such a treat. Also, work permitted, nothing wrong with a little afternoon. Having said this, as my body clock is used to waking up at 5 am every day, I tend to wake up early anyway.
Different forms of exercise – try walking, yoga, swimming. Now is the time to try something light and different to what you would usually do. Light stretching (depending on soreness) also helps.
Every time I have done a marathon I have learnt something new about myself pre, during and the recovery after. Whether it’s trial and error, reading a blog or an article.
I hope my information can help you too.
Please feel free to send me some tips!
Image: Rianda, Coach and I – Team Work
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