Anyone find it hard to come back to running after doing a race. Yes directly after the race when your body is still in recovery mode, not quite ready to hit the pavement again, there is nothing by race highs, fantasying about the next race and crushing that PB. Yet, you know can’t really get right into training you have to let your body rest. Once it’s time to start running I find i lack major motivation to get going again. Since completing the Chicago Marathon this thanksgiving I have been feeling huge post race blues. I believe it combination of multiple factors including, this the 1st year I ran two marathons in one season, I was still injured while running the Chicago marathon and the usual post race blues.
I am trying to find the balance between giving myself enough time to recover and keeping my training track so I can meet my personal goals in the spring. Knowing that listening to your body is probably one the most important things to be able to do. The flip side to that is knowing when you are completing in your head about a workout. Reminding yourself it always feels better when you are finished and just telling yourself you need to get out the door, ease your mind in with 1-2km and then re-evaluate the run. More often then not your body and mind will be ready to go for the workout planned. There is always a balance, as to most of the things I talk about it usually centred around balance.
I have been aiming to 3-4 runs a week; with one longer one each week. Not my typical long runs that I do when training for marathon but more around the 10-12km range. Hopefully, once my body gets back into I will be increasing the long runs to 16-18km. We just won’t focus on that until later on.
Today I went for 11km run this morning. Once I got started the run became relaxing, there was no time goal, pace goal just to go out run by feel for the whole distance. Blue sky, decently warm weather and clear roads leading to running bliss. The weather was actually so warm I had to make pit stop at my house a quarter of the way through to delayer and grab my sunglasses: definitely a win.
I am also in the process of developing a strength training plan to complement my running workout. I hoping this off season I can get stronger and also change my routine to not get bored and stay motivated.
