My race season ended almost a month ago with the Leadville 100 and like many other runners I found myself asking, "Now what?" After months of training, racing, and intense focus on goals, it’s common to feel a mix of emotions – relief, pride, and sometimes even a sense of loss, let down and sadness. The end of a race season can impact your mental health in ways you might not expect. Here’s several ideas on how to navigate this transition and take care of your mental well-being when your racing comes to an end.

Acknowledge and Open Up to Your Feelings

Running can become such a large part of your identity that the end of the season may leave you feeling a bit lost. In addition, the drop in training load creates an imbalance and your body is trying to come back to homeostasis. Because of this, you may experience a range of feelings and emotions: satisfaction from achieving goals, joy that it's over, frustration and sadness about goals that weren’t met or even anxiety about what comes next. These feelings are completely normal and there is no right or wrong feeling, nor way to experience them. We all respond differently. Take time to notice, acknowledge and open-up to them without judgement.

Noticing, opening-up to, normalizing, and recognizing the feelings have a purpose are the first steps toward finding balance. Remember, it's okay to feel the "post-race blues." This is normal.

Embrace Rest and Recovery

Your body has worked hard, and so has your mind. After a season of pushing your limits, it’s essential to give yourself permission to rest. This period isn’t just about physical recovery; it's also an opportunity for your mind to unload and unwind.

As you enter the off-season, let go of rigid training schedules and give yourself mental space to relax. This can help prevent burnout and keep your love for running alive in the long term. Unfortunately, as a coach I’ve seen this happen time and time again. Use this down time to focus on other activities you enjoy but may have put on the back burner.

Look at your personal values. What areas have been neglected that need refueling: Relationships? Family? Creativity? Work?

Set New, Non-Running Goals

It’s easy to feel adrift without a race to train for, but setting new goals can help maintain a sense of purpose. However, these goals don't have to be running-related. Shifting your focus can provide a mental reset and help you feel accomplished in other areas of your life.

Once again, look at your personal values. What goals can be derived from them that are not running related?

Consider goals that promote mental well-being, like starting a meditation practice, learning a new skill, or building a better sleep routine. The key is to set goals that bring you joy are aligned with YOUR values foster a positive mindset.

*Note: I’ll be the first to tell you that it’s perfectly alright to have running related goals…it’s just really nice to get that break from thinking about it!

Find Community and Connection

One of the best parts of being a runner is the community. The ultra-running community is a fantastic example of a mostly supportive group of folks where the connection is contagious and likely a reason for such huge growth in the sport. When the race season ends, the community doesn’t have to. Finding social events like a movie night and or casual group runs without the pressure of performance is one option to maintain that connection. Move the emphasis away from performance.

Find your community - but move the emphasis away from performance.

Another way is to look outside of running for community. Once again look at your personal values, what resonates with you? What have you been missing? Where can you grow that community?

Practice Self-Compassion

As the season winds down, it’s natural to reflect on your performance and critique what you could have done differently. While it’s good to learn from experiences, be mindful not to get hooked and pushed around on self-criticism. Practice self-compassion by mindfully acknowledging your hard work, regardless of the outcomes.

Celebrate the successes and remember that even showing up to train consistently is an achievement in itself. Treat yourself with the same kindness you would offer a friend.

Reflect and Plan for the Next Season – With Balance in Mind

While the off-season is a time for rest, it can also be an opportunity for reflection. Take some time to think about what went well and what challenges you faced this past season. However, don’t rush into planning your next set of races immediately. Give it some space.

When you do start to think about next season's goals, consider incorporating mental health practices into your routine. This might mean scheduling more rest days, incorporating yoga, meditation, setting more flexible performance goals or even working with a trained mental performance coach or therapist.

Explore Cross-Training

Running is an amazing to stay active and boost your mental health, but it’s not the only way! Trying different forms of exercise like hiking, cycling, ski-touring, swimming, or yoga, can keep you physically active in addition to running. It’s also a great way to keep your fitness level up while giving your mind and body a break from running-specific training.

The season coming to an end at Run Rabbit Run in 2017.

Engaging in different activities can also provide a new source of joy and prevent you from feeling stuck in a routine. The key is to explore activities that make you feel good, not those that add pressure or stress. Also, you may want to consider activities that don’t increase the training load significantly – find balance.

Seek Support If Needed

If you’re finding it particularly hard to adjust to the end of the season, know that you’re not alone. The post-race blues are real, and talking about it can help. Reach out to friends, join a support group, or consider speaking with a therapist trained to work with athletes, especially if feelings of sadness or anxiety persist and or habits and thinking become unworkable.

Conclusion

The end of the running season is a time of transition. While it can bring about mixed emotions, it also offers an opportunity for growth and self-care. By acknowledging your feelings, embracing rest, staying connected to your community, and setting new, balanced goals, you can use this time to nurture both your body and mind.

Remember, running is a journey. Taking care of your mental health during this journey will set you up for success, both in your next race and in your everyday life. So, take a deep breath, reset, refocus, enjoy the downtime, and remember – you've earned it.

Your Race Season is Over – Now What? A Mental Health Guide for Runners