Last week was slow

Last week was a slow week for me, and yes, I am not just talking about running. My marathon recovery is coming along nicely. There have been no major issues. I just have the normal sluggishness that accompanies the post marathon mileage.

A side from running, I have just been busy with other stuff. In the meantime, my writing has crawled to halt.

But I am back to day.

I thought I would throw out a quick thought on post marathon “blues”. I remember after my first marathon that I felt like I was down in the “dumps”. This just seemed to last for weeks. There was no real motivation to train at all. Physically, this is not a bad thing. Our bodies need recovery time and this means easy workouts.

However, mentally, it is like going to 60 mph to 0 mph. After months and months pounding workouts, there is just all this free time. I found it hard saying this but free time just leaves me bored.  I need to be actively doing something.

I always suggest that runners make post marathon plans. This does not mean racing in the days and weeks that follow, but we should all put something on the calendar. This gives us a reason to do some “active” recovery workouts.

Right now, my body is not ready for a “crunching” hard workout running. Therefore, I have been headed over to the Y for some spin classes. For 45 to 55 minutes, I get a good muscular/aerobic workout without the pounding from running. Not to mention, this gets me moving and around other people which helps keep those blues away.

For those running a marathon this weekend or in the coming weeks, now is the time to start thinking about your post marathon goals. It will keep the mind busy going into the marathon during the taper and busy afterwards prepping for the next big event.

Best of luck with your upcoming races.

 

Sharing one thought at time,

The Cool Down Runner