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.

What’s a story you tell yourself over and over that’s just not true?

The first one I can think of is that “I’m not an athlete.” Then I look through my life and see, football, baseball, wrestling, rock-climbing, mountaineering, alpine skiing, telemark skiing, ski-touring, track, marathon, ultramarathons, road races, oh, and almost forgot the years of Karate and Judo.

Create space outside of your sport. Find time to connect with friends that aren’t your ‘running friends.’ Find time to work on the other parts of yourself - for some that may be art, music, or spending time with your family. Even just a little investment will help you prevent that foreclosure on on your identity. It will help prevent burnout, help you recover, and help you when times get rough.