Meghan is sharing her ups and downs after running a race and how to break out of the slump.
I ran two races back to back this September: Ragnar Colorado and the Great Cow Harbor 10k. Both races were fun, beautiful, with great friends and I felt awesome after each race. Ragnar Colorado was a 200 mile relay from Breckenridge to Snowmass. I ran 33 of the 200 miles and loved every minute of it - especially the scenery. I got back to NYC and Jessica and I ran the Great Cow Harbor together. We had fun this race and didn't stress too much about our time.
Since then, I've had a very rough time getting my mojo back since the races. I haven't felt like running and I'm tired, like all the time tired! Here's what I discovered in dealing with my post race slump.
1) Give yourself a break! You just ran a race, reward yourself with a few days off.
2) Gush about your race. Meet a runner friend for coffee and tell them all about your race. You trained, you sweated, you rocked it. Brag a bit.
3) Plan your recovery. I love active recovery plans that are full of yoga, spin classes and fun classes like kickboxing. Lay off the running for a few days (or a week or two) and work your muscles in a different way.
4) Pick your next goal. Find that next race that you want to run or your next vacation. Give yourself something to look forward to!
Beat those post race slumps by having a plan and giving yourself the time and space to recover, sleep and find your mojo!