Post Race Blues?

It's an all-too-common scenario in triathlon - you've signed up for, trained

for, and completed your race. The finish-line pictures have been taken, the post-race parties and high-fives from friends are now past, the swim, bike and run sessions in your planned-out program are over, and suddenly you have a big, empty void in your life.

You feel depressed. Down. Unmotivated. Unfit. Lost.

You aren't alone. This phenomena is called the "post-race blues", and it happens to basketball players after they win a big tournament, tennis players after they achieve their desired ranking, golf players after they conquer a new handicap, or football players after they win the championship.

The post-race blues are entirely natural. Just think about it: if you had infinite amounts of joy, satisfaction, and self-fulfillment after accomplishing your goal, then you'd never have any incentive to move on to another goal! You'd just sit around basking in gumdrops, rainbows, and sunshine the rest of your life.

Heck, Ironman triathlon probably wouldn't even exist if it weren't for the post-race blues, since folks would just keep on doing sprint triathlons as that would give them more than enough happiness. But post-race blues are a reality, and you do need to know how to handle your post-race blues to move on to bigger and better things.
How To Beat the Post-Race Blues Step #1: Log Your Journey. Often, post-race blues are amplified by a lack of closure, or the feeling that you finished an important event but still have unfinished business. Writing can be incredibly cathartic, and allow you to project these feelings onto paper, whether for yourself or the rest of the world. In the modern age, this is most easily achieved by blogging, with your race ramblings, your photos and your videos - but you can also simply write notes to yourself in a journal. Whichever method you decide, attempt to answer these questions: What did you do? How did you prepare? How did you feel during the event? How did you feel
after the event? What would you change?

How To Beat the Post race blues Step #2: Reboot and Refresh. If you try to "mask" your blues by jumping right back into swimming, cycling and running, you might last a couple weeks before mental fatigue and boredom set in. The same can be said for individuals who "Qualify for Kona" and jump right back
into hard training, or don't get the PR they wanted, and jump right back into hard training. So instead, you should "reboot and refresh". How? Pick up a new sport (like golf), choose a new hobby (like studying red wine or playing the guitar) and find other sources of joy and fulfillment (like hanging out with your friends and family). Give yourself 2-3 weeks of complete down-time without any pressure to swim, bike or run.

How To Beat the Post-Race Blues Step #3: Create a New Goal. The empty valley created by an achieved goal is simply screaming to be filled by a new mountain for you to climb. Once you've completed your re-boot and re-fresh, or during that time, pour through triathlon calendars, triathlon magazines and race reports to find an even that truly excites you. A new distance? A
unique destination? A group or club event? As soon as you have found your new goal, it is important to register for the event and find a plan to get you ready for the event- remember you want to strike while the iron is hot and you have an empty void to fill. Most importantly, remember that your goal doesn't have to be a new race. It can also be getting six-pack abs, losing 20 pounds, or even becoming a rock star on the electronic keyboard.'

By following these three steps to beat the post-race blues, you can avoid the trap that many fall into: achieving a goal, becoming depressed from the empty void, then gaining 30 pounds or giving up on their sport because they just don't know what to do next.