Racing can be a powerful and jarring stimulus that requires some mental and physical recovery post-race.
Your event need not be a marathon or an Ironman either. An athlete doing a 5K or 10K run race for the first time might be totally smashed afterward.
If you have other goals for later in the year, you might be inclined to get cracking on preparing soon after the race. This is great if your body is able to accept the load, but I have found myself on the brink of ruin by rushing back too quickly from races where I was operating at or near my peak.
Through these errors, I have developed a three-item checklist to run through before getting back into standard training volume and intensity. A measured approach is always a great way to play it.
Desire
Post race blues can be a real thing. You poured a ton of energy into preparing and then performing. Give yourself some space for that itch to train to return if you feel this way. Check out mentally from sport if you need it.
Conversely, you may be chomping at the bit to get back to work. This is where the next two points can help you decide if you are truly good to go.
Feeling
I always like to check how I am feeling at easy/steady intensity. If it does not feel easy, it isn’t easy! Often there can be a "breathlessness" during steady effort that indicates there is some recovery still on the table. Give the body a chance to renormalize.
You may also experience a period of feeling exceptional in the days after race only to later have a crash in energy levels in a rebound fashion. A mentor of mine, Gordo Byrn, refers to this as delayed-blast-fatigue. It may not always happen, but if it does, now you know to pay attention.
Moreover, feeling emotionally "blah" or "cloudy" outside of training is something to monitor. I have had this sensation linger for many days after longer races. There is a remarkable connection between mental status and physical readiness.
Soreness
Easy movement with your favorite activities is a great way to facilitate blood flow in the days following. Let the soreness clear from a race before jumping back into your intense sessions. A little extra easy time on the front end can go a long way.
The best part about these three areas is that you can conveniently monitor them in conjunction with data in HRV4Training if that is something you use. Data becomes more helpful when we add context rather focusing solely on the absolute value of the numbers you see in the app.
If you aren’t a data junkie, no worries. You may notice that the feeling category above received the most attention. It is an important metric and requires very little technology.
Your path back to enjoying training and progressing starts with an honest survey of how your body and mind is holding up after a big race. Consider some of the observational points provided to minimize a rocky restart this season.
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Great post! Exactly how I approached training last week after a 12km (fun) race.