If you are one of thousands of runners who ran a race in the upper Midwest last weekend, you might have noticed the heat. Record temperatures and high humidity are not what you would expect for an October race in the Twin Cities, Chicago or Milwaukee, but that’s what we had.
Despite the heat, you were probably one of the vast majority of runners that did not end up in the medical tent or hospital. You’ve likely heard a few of the dramatic stories like the television reporter who passed out just after 25 miles, but for most of you the story was less dramatic. It was hot, you drank water until you sloshed, and you made it to the finish line. Your time wasn’t what you hoped, but you survived.
[Insert your favorite invective or curse here]!
With all your training and preparation, it really bites to have the heat dominate your experience. You mentally rehearsed cruising to that finish line, feeling light as a feather and smiling from ear to ear. Instead you grimaced your way to the end, legs leaden and clothing drenched. Sure you got the medal, but you feel robbed.
As the hours after the race turn into days and then weeks, you can head toward a healthy recovery by taking a few key steps. You probably already know what to do physically (take some time away from running, get a massage, and start back gradually). These steps are more for your state of mind.
1) The first step to a healthy recovery is to acknowledge your mixed feelings. Your non-running friends might look at you in awe (or amusement) because you even finished under those conditions. Your running friends who shared the experience are dealing with their own emotional roller coaster. And your dog, well she’s just happy to see you.
2) Step two is to remind yourself what you did accomplish. Running a marathon (or half or ten-mile) is a major effort, and is not just a one-day experience. Regardless of how the day went, you prepared over a period of months, and no one and nothing can take that away from you.
3) Step three is to learn from any mistakes you made. You lost the weather lottery, but you can’t blame yourself for that. There may be other things about your race that are worth looking at though. Did you do enough and long enough runs in preparation? Did you start slow enough, given the conditions? Did you drink enough water? According to training guru Jeff Galloway, you should have slowed down 30-60 seconds per mile due to the heat and humidity. Did you start out at your goal pace and then slowly slide to a crawl? That’s something to change in the future.
4) Step four is to make peace with the experience. It may not have been everything you hoped for, but by taking ownership of it, you’ll find peace. You won’t wince every time some one mentions the word ‘marathon,’ or let out a low moan the next time you pin on a bib number.
5) Step five is to summon your ability to create a moment of innocence, and decide to try again. It may not be a marathon or even another race, but when you’ve made peace you’re ready to experience the fullness of life once more. Shed the negatives of your adult mind, and start with all the hope and aspirations and innocence of a child.
I didn’t run a fall marathon this year, but I had my own melt-down last year. I didn’t even need the heat. I ran myself into the ground by letting my ego overcome the wisdom I had acquired by learning and teaching ChiRunning. I can tell you from personal experience that you’ll feel better sooner if you take these steps.
It might also help to check the standings and pick a new pro football team to root for. Nothing rejuvenates you faster than a pleasant afternoon on the couch after a recovery run. Well, almost nothing. That look your dog gives you is pretty good too. We`ll go back to the `no dogs on the couch` rule tomorrow.
Chris Fuller is a certifed ChiRunning instructor and race director for The Sporting Life events. Say hello to Chris at the Paul Mausling XC Run on Sunday, October 14!.
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