What to do after a big goal race? Train Proactively not Reactively. Part One.

Take 1-2 weeks of no running
Gentle walk throughout the day- nothing excessive-think blood flow and mobility- NOT breakdown!
Once you resume running- do a reverse taper- except NO pace work as it breaks tissue down further and we want the opposite. Slow, short runs every other to every day is better than longer, speedy runs since it gives gentle movement in small doses-promoting recovery not break down. Don’t push out of FEAR of fitness loos, weight gain, or whatever. TRUST!
Force self to do the things you were too busy to do while training. It sometimes is hard for runners to stop, step back- but this attitude leads to burnout, injury, and less than stellar future training cycles. Nows the time to ELEVATE spirit. This is a great time to take a family vacation, cook long meals, go out with friends on a Friday night, or stay up late laughing with your girlfriends. Think- fill the tank with easy, joyful activities.
If you are having a hard time with this transition - think- “I need to restore self as much as possible:body, mind, and spirit before I get back to the unbalanced life that is chasing a challenging goal! You have to respect these breaks if you want to improve over the long haul. That being said, when its time to work hard, you have to be ready to WORK HARD!!! So, enjoy your time now- ha!
SLEEP, EAT Nutritiously, family time, fun time, exploration of self and reflection time.

Show yourself that in recovery, you repair, get stronger, and restore a body and mind that worked so hard for you during your race and the preceding build up.

So, you think you are so tough and disciplined?

Well- show me you can focus hard on flexing your recovery muscle for these three weeks knowing that if you don’t you are stealing the energy, speed, focus, and health that will fuel your next big training cycle and goal.

TAKE A STEP BACK! You have a lifetime. Do not let fear run you into the ground. This is why you hire a coach. Stick to the plan! And the plan says- fill your time with all the things in your life you didn’t have time to do when you were courageously chipping away at your goal.

When done correctly, this time can set you up to take your fitness level to a new level. Viewing this time as restorative instead of more break down, you can avoid plateau, burnout, and avoid injury.