Post IM Blues?

I felt the same way after IMMoo last year.  I actually spent 6 weeks of doing nothing but lying on my couch and eating.  It's like any other major goal (especially when it's your first) that you put so time and effort into that, afterwards, you sit back and think "Ok, now what?"

Best way to overcome it is to have something else on your schedule soon enough after it that you'll want to get back out and be training again. 

After a year long focus on doing IMLP, finishing and feeling so amazingly great and full of joy, and then having my body not want to train but my mind wanted to I had post IM blues. It was the strangest thing for me. I was probably the fittest I had been in my life, wanted to do workouts and train but at same time didn't feel like it. My head wanted the structure and endorphins but my body didn't want to do much at all.

Add in what can I do now that is so cool and amazing and top IM finish?  IM was a goal I had for 5 years, it was done I was an Ironman. Sure I could work on getting faster but that isn't enough. I have to enjoy the journey. Because come race day if my goal was just to get faster stuff happens and I may not.

I think part of the post IM blues too was that I was slow...16:33. I was excited to finish and I had no time goals other than to finish. In time my pride took over and forgot my goals and made me feel bad that I'm slow. I'm never going to be fast or KQ but I can improve. In the scheme of the world I did this huge thing..in IM world I'm totally BOPer even though I trained hard. It was a bit of a mental battle..pride in my accomplishment (lost 100 pound got off the couch and did IM is pretty cool) vs. how slow I was.

I took a lot of time looking at what I wanted to do and examining my goals and what I find joy in doing. Just because I've done tris last 5 years doesn't mean that I can't try different things.

I made lots of lists and saw some patterns. I like doing weird challenge type events. I like cycling more than running and swimming frustrates me.I want to try ultra cycling, do a week long bike trip, ride across the country, try MTB, do an xterra...stuff like that.

This fall my goals are to do fun training with friends and try some new things. I'm training for a 1/2 Mary with a BT friend. We will do our long runs together which I've never done, and she'll race but I doubt I will. The experience is more important than the race. I want to do this bike stage race which is up a mountain TT, crit in a closed for season amusement park, and then cyclo cross. I'll probably come in last but fun experience.

I bought a new bike and am trying cyclocross this fall. Totally different but wicked fun..riding around corn fields, jumping over logs and barriers, riding off road, getting muddy. I like the mental break and I get to bike, run and get wet while doing it.

Read this article .

It helped me to talk about it with others and see it was pretty normal. Having new goals, figuring out what I want out of sport next year and the years to follow. I needed allow my body time to feel better and recover.

I signed up for IM Canada yesterday so I have a new goal for next year...love hills..lose weight so hills aren't so hard and find joy in the journey.

Post Race blues is very common for athletes.  It's usually those around you that notice it first.  I wrote this article if you want to check it out:  http://all3sports.net/?p=93

Only do walking for about a week.  Don't push it!

Great article!

Post IM blues?..   I am glad I did not get those.    I love to train,  IM is a day to have fun,  but i do enjoy the training more than anything else.    How to combat those blues... just get out there and have fun.   If you trained just to finish an IM it is going to be hard to get back in the wagon...  Good luck.. 

Someone needs a cookie and maybe less time at Starbucks! Glad you're all better doc! You knocked the training out of the park today!

Wow I never thought of it like that. I've been doing various events over the last 18 months but so far I haven't felt the urge to go back and do them again to get faster. I'm more interested in the next new experience. 

Thanks for pointing it out to me!

Gerrard

I think sport should give good feelings and make you enjoy your life better but, especially, make you healthy.

If everytime I was feeling like that, I would not go never anymore for Ironman.

It is the reason why I stopped racing in standalone marathons. The post race is always not healthy I think. Feeling bad, risk of injuries, etc.

I feel much better with shorter races.

So far, once Ironman and great post race feeling.