The anti-climax

How do you overcome an anti-climax?
 
Having run a personal best time of 3:36 at Newcastle (Aus) marathon a few weeks ago I found myself in a strange position. I completed what I set out to do at the beginning of the year, but was left feeling depressed. There was no fanfare at the end of my marathon finish (not that there usually is), just a heavy downpour and a few beleaguered supporters. I even had to queue at a tent in order to collect my finishers medal from a box labelled "marathon" and then remove it from its plastic wrapper in order to congratulate myself. It was the epitome of an anti-climax.

You see the trouble with a goal is that you need to line up a whole year of them in varying sizes in order to keep motivated and progressing. Otherwise you question why you run at all and that is a dark place for anyone not just a mad runner! Strangely with the Newcastle marathon the enjoyment came from the strain and pain of the run and not the end result, the success. Perhaps the yoga that I have done has finally paid off, because being "present" is a huge part of yoga practice. For once I have vivid memory recall of the marathon run, how it felt and how I was enjoying it and despising it in equal amounts. The result that I had worked so hard for in training has suddenly been made inconsequential. So why bother at all?

Well there is a question and not an easy one for anyone to answer. But I will say that for me personally goal setting and organisation has become the most important tool in my life to avoid stagnation, depression and melancholic states of mind. There are times when I am sad to say that life seems boring. Don't get me wrong, I am very fortunate to have the life I have, I am grateful for that every day. But that doesn't stop me as a human being wanting to do more. I have always seeked change and variety because it offers excitement and stimulation of the mind, body and soul. It is the reason I have had many jobs, travelled to different places and the reason I run. Running takes me to the places I don't always reach in life. It empowers me to strive for more in work, in giving and helping. If I know that I can achieve it in running then it tells me I can achieve anything I put my mind to in life.

In two short paragraphs I have managed to answer my own questions (the joy of writing). So what can you or I do to avoid feeling depressed/de-motivated? Well here's some suggestions which can apply to all of life, not just running.

1) Set goals. You need to know where you want to go and write out a plan. It can be simple, but the more detailed you are the easier it will be to recognise how to get there and when you have achieved your goal. I have numerous goals, so I start at the main one for the year (running a marathon pb) and work back from there with short and mid term goals.

2) Book events. Part of a concrete plan should include races both small and large. Not only do they make life interesting, but they prepare you for race day and put the fun back into training. Whether it's a 10km trail run or a road half marathon, just make sure you select a few, pay for them and then put them in your diary. It will keep you focused throughout the year.

3) Variety. It is the spice of life don't you know! I am going to get into trail runs over the winter season to mix things up for my body and keep the enjoyment levels up. It will also help prevent overuse injuries by strengthening weak areas such as the core and lower limb muscles.

4) Change. As with variety it is important to welcome change. I am changing my focus to the half marathon distance for my next big race at Gold Coast in July. This is in order to reduce the volume of miles on my legs and focus on speedwork, core and flexibility instead. This will help in the long term of running a pb at Melbourne marathon in November.

5) Cycle, swim, have fun! Running is a huge part of my life. For some it is there lives. I advise everyone to take a break from it and do something different and leave your serious head at home. Forget the GPS watch or the heart rate monitor. Leave the lycras and skins at home. Just relax a little and enjoy doing something new and different. 2-4 weeks without running won't kill you, if you try a new activity it will most likely help you to rest your body's systems and come back with renewed passion and energy. Nobody and I mean nobody can go 100% forever. At some point it will come back to bite you.

Having written all this out I have taken my own advice and booked myself in for some ten km races, the GC half and the Melbourne marathon. Thus ensuring that I avoid depression. Will you do the same?

Until next week,

happy training,

Tom :)

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