By MHM Coach Mike Vetowich

My last entry focused on the week leading up to race day. Now your race has come and gone and you find yourself asking, what next? Dealing with the aftermath of a big race can be difficult regardless of the results. Here is some advice to help you move forward.

It is inevitable to feel a big let down after a big race. You’ve spent months preparing yourself and now it’s done. Hopefully you achieved your goal, but even if you didn’t, the feelings you experience are similar. I liken it to post-par tum depression or the let down you feel after planning a wedding or a big family trip, etc. You have been focusing on that event for months and now it’s behind you. It’s easy to let that bring you down, but you don’t have to let that happen.

The first thing to do is simply relax and enjoy your accomplishment. Even if you had a terrible day, by arriving at the start line you have achieved a great deal. You need to keep things in perspective. It’s not the end of the world. Your family and friends still love you, and trust me, most of them are in complete awe of what you’ve just done. Take a minute to be disappointed, but then put it behind you and thank those who helped you get to where you are. I’m not saying to live in denial. A poor result can be a big motivator moving forward, but immediately after, you need to rest and relax. Let your body and your mind recover and then you can address the things that went wrong and set some new goals.

It’s even more likely to experience a let down if you have a good day. You did it. You worked hard and you achieved your goal, but now what? It’s easy to get caught up in a viscous cycle of faster times and bigger events until you can’t even enjoy the event you just finished. Don’t let that happen. Take that same amount of time afterward and enjoy it. Decompress a little. Enjoy some bad food and rest your body. Thank those friends and family too, and don’t get too caught up in how great you are now that you achieved your goal. Your friends admire you but there is always someone faster so don’t become a bore. Just like you can use a poor result to motivate you, you can do the same with a good result. By all means, use a good day to catapult you to a higher level, but enjoy the race you just finished and, more importantly, be proud of the hard work that got you there.

In the end, training for a big race is not much different than any other big goal. It takes hard work and planning and the big day arrives and seems to pass too quickly. On race day, take some time and look around. Appreciate what a spectacle it is. Get caught up in the excitement and realize that yes, you are part of what makes this a big event. Be grateful for your big day regardless of your results, take time to remember what got you there, and thank those that helped you. Reflection is wonderful. Don’t get caught up in the good or bad. Be content. Accept yourself and your results and move on. If you do this, you’ll be ready for a new challenge quickly.

Happy Training,

Coach Mike