Managing post-event vibes
Whether you’re lucky enough to have managed a season of racing in these times, or are looking into an event ahead as a post pandemic comeback, it’s likely you have endured the post-event comedown at some stage.
Whether it be a successful race, or perhaps something less successful, there are a whole range of emotions and sensations it’s possible to feel.
Over the years or racing and coaching, I feel like I have had it all! Here I have put together some handy tips to manage the post race feels.
Immediately Post race.
Feel what you need to feel at the finish and take care of immediate needs. This means water, food, cooling, warm down. Using a warm down is a great chance to get away from the crowd for a second and take stock of the events of the race, and cool the jets if fired up. At this stage, being upset or ecstatic is all part of the game of cycling. Feel the feels but remember that while things can be super raw, don’t take it out on anyone. Intellect isn’t high when you’re coming down from threshold!
Top Tips:
-Hold back from saying or doing things you may regret in the heat of the moment
-Focus on your physical and mental needs before talking to media/opponents
-Look after physiological needs
2. Hours post race
Post event rumination is a thing, and you can find yourself running through different scenarios in your head over and over, regardless of it it was a positive or negative race. It’s in the hours post race that it’s most beneficial to write down what happened during the race, how you did or didn’t stick to your race plan, how you responded to adversity, and any lessons or questions you have to discuss with your coach. Thinking about the event is not such a bad thing, but if it’s taking over your life and causing distress, get what you’re thinking out on paper (or in a document) send it away and focus on recovery.
If you need to, allow yourself to be mad, sad and upset, but just for today. Get it out, use your support network, and go to bed knowing that you have done the grieving process for the day.
Top Tips:
-Get it out
-Allow yourself the feels
3. Day post race
A day post race can often be a bit of a hangover from the day before, and once again going back to the basics of what you need for recovery and health is key. Remember you have had your time to commiserate yesterday, and you got down all the feelings and thoughts from the race.
Now is time to pick it up, nourish your body and reset. It’s important that regardless of good or bad race, throwing yourself back into hard training (to make amends or continue a reign!) Can be counterproductive, you need to recover to come back stronger. Eat the food, hydrate, and follow your recovery protocol. Now is the time that athletes can get stuck in a funk or ‘wallow’ in their post race feelings, but remember we did that yesterday.
Today is a new day and you are more than a bike race!
Top Tips:
-Avoid the urge to train hard, active recovery ok if discussed with your coach
-Look after your likely increased nutritional needs the day after the race: listen to hunger cues
-Rest a little more of possible
4. The days after that
This is most commonly where I see people coming unstuck with post event malaise, whether it be from a good or bad race. Quite often, in the case of multi-day stage races or marathons, it’s simply a case of the body still recovering and fatigue being managed. For really big events, there can be a bit of a come down, especially if it culminates a season, that can be as much mental as physical.
We think about the physical toll of racing on our bodies but frequently neglect the neurological and emotional. Bike racing is full noice focus for however long your event is, alongside managing discomfort and having to be on top of self talk the whole time. It’s quite a mental task!
Top Tips:
-Resume training as discussed with your coach
-Pay attention to your moods and fatigue: extra recovery may be required if fatigue is excessive
-You can sometimes have a mood ‘lull’ several days after an event, when the excitement and hormones of racing wear off and you’re left feeling low. Knowing this can be normal can help. If in doubt, talk to your coach!
An example of an extremely broken human after a very long event who couldn’t decide between milkshake or coffee so had both (and hot chips…)