Marathon de Sables (MdS) Post Race Blues
Things to consider after your MdS finish.
You must take time off from training afterwards otherwise you delay your recovery for many months!
Ignore what other MdS finishers are doing, they also have NOT fully recovered?
Those that start training too quickly after often end up injured burnt out in 4-6 months time with no will to do anything!
In the next 4 weeks after you have completed the MdS you are at most of risk of picking up an injury, which can stay with you for the rest of your life!
You now have the opportunity to really boost your fitness by fully recovering, this is when your body super compensates.
Take time out and you will be rewarded with a huge spike in fitness, train straight away and you will not for many months.
You may now feel invincible, but you are at your most fragile, your muscles tendons joints and skin all are recover at different rates, just because your blisters are no longer painful does not mean you can plan to run a marathon.
Twisting or picking something up can easily cause you to pull a muscle because every muscle has been used like never before.
You have pushed yourself physically and mentally so don’t work out until you have had at least 3 consecutive days craving for sport.
Your body will have produced a huge amount of endorphins during the MdS which are very addictive, a lack of this natural high hormone can make you want to do something.
Don’t confuse routine of past training to the body wanting its “endorphin fix”
Don’t confuse hunger with fatigue.
Hunger symptoms include rumbling tummy.
Fatigue symptoms include after sleep still tired, loss of motivation verging on depression, irritable, unusual low general energy levels giving you false messages to eat.
Other symptoms include:-
No improvement in muscular pain.
Bowel changes including bloating or constipation diarrhoea and severe cases nausea.
Unable to regulate body temperature normally sweating or feeling the cold more than normal.
Short term memory loss
Using the wrong words or names
Unable to organise thoughts
Short term memory loss
Poor concentration
Tongue a funny colour or slight sore throat.
Restless legs or disturbed sleep.
Dizziness and balance problems sign of anaemia or still not fully hydrated.
Treatment
See chiropodists within 10 days of finishing, and get your feet sorted out.
After a lot of training and preparing you have now crossed the finish line.
Have a relaxing massage to keep the muscles relaxed, a sauna will help keep the blood flowing.
Hot & cold baths showers or Jacuzzi will help you relax and recover.
Short walks to keep everything moving.
Eat little and often to keep energy levels up. Have a wide variety of foods to speed up the recovery process including as many colourful foods such as peppers fruits and vegetables.
After finishing the marathon De sables “the toughest foot race on earth”
0-8 days feel very tired but euphoric.
6-10 days finally feeling back to normal but some days feel like you could just go to sleep in the middle of the day! = 20 minute nap is all you may need.
Proper appetite should return back to normal, don’t confuse this with-
Cravings for certain foods, your body is telling you it needs a particular mineral vitamin protein etc.
Expect flash backs of the event. As each day passes you will naturally forget the bad and remember the good about your amazing journey across the dessert.
7-14 days upon waking feeling that you have not had a good nights sleep. This is because you need more time to fully recover.
Bowel movement should not be back to normal.
Mental alertness will be back to normal.
12 days onwards expect post Marathon de Sables blues.
Empty feeling what next – no next adventure planned?
Plan some short term goals not next week but in 8-16 weeks.
Not a marathon but something without running!
The many hours and miles of training for the MdS is now over.
You are now part of the MdS family and an official finisher.
Don’t worry about losing that hard earned fitness you will not lose it in the next 8 weeks.
Keep that T-Shirt and medal with pride.
Many frame both as a reminder on the wall of the event and what you went thru.
Sense of achievement will change from “I did it” to “Disappointment” due to the feeling I could have gone faster.
This is perfectly natural no one in ever pleased with their whole performance.
Multiple times MdS finishers often claim to have never had the perfect race such is the enormity of the distance, what can and did go wrong.
Think about the positives not the negatives you are now part of a very elite group of people who have successfully completed the MdS.
The absence of anticipation and excitement has now gone and you are back at work.
Without adequate rest you fail to recover the mind and the body.
Signs of MdS blues.
The feeling of something missing in your life –
Now is not the time to do something different, not just yet!
Unusual grumpiness – Tired not fully recovered.
Sadness - Like you have lost a best friend.
Bored –plenty of time on your hands
Restlessness – still not ready to resume training.
Sudden mood swings - often as a result of procrastination.
Not Motivated - even to do things you normally enjoy.
The loss of any direction will result in feelings of aimlessness & despondency.
Missing the MdS build up and the 24/7 -many things to do culture.
Depression is a sign you have not fully recovered, wanting to do it again means you are part way to fully recovering.
Skin problems (largest organ in the body) is a mirror image of our insides.
Have a variety of foods not more of the same but multi cultural foods from around the world to help you recover more quickly.
Everything is an effort, dropping something gets you annoyed.
Clumsiness is a sign you are still not recovered.
Remedy for Marathon de Sables Ironman blues.
It is perfectly normal to feel down after finishing.
Avoid setting yourself goals and jumping straight back into training in the first 3 weeks.
You will make much better decisions 3 weeks after finishing.
Don’t ignore feelings listen to your mind and body.
Sleep in and do not feel guilty, this is part of your reward.
Enjoy not having a target to aim for.
Every working muscle has been used let your body recover from this huge endurance event.
You are a human being not a machine so you need time to charge up your batteries.
Invest your time in other parts of your life to improve and simplify for lifestyle.
Talk to other MdS finisher’s and discuss your race, often they can fully understand what you have gone through.
Meet up with friends and family.
Stretch rather than train aim to improve your range of movement (ROM) back to what it was before.
Avoid stretching till it hurts hold back make sure you are warmed up first.
You are at risk of pulling muscles, don’t force or bounce any stretching.
Reward yourself with a relaxing massage.
Exercise can help with mood swings but NOT running.
Cycling swimming and walking or any non-weight bearing exercise will help.
Avoiding taking up a new sport for at least 8 weeks to prevent injury.
Avoid sports such as tennis, squash, box exercise even though you may now feel invincible you are most at risk form injury in the next 4 weeks.
1. Over training. You can easily tip your body over the edge by training just for training sake after the MDS = Rest to recover.
= Waste of training time = disappointing training or race results.
2. Mental burnout = Unable to push thru when things get tough = sign you are also mentally tired.
= Try and avoid anything mentally challenging otherwise if you back off early this may become the new norm for the future.
3. Illness – reduced immune system, now ill after the ironman, now you have a cold. This is a sign your immune system needs to strengthen itself with rest and recovery. Your body is sending you a message.
= On going colds sore throat that you cannot seem to get rid of.
4. Injury – Caused by the changes of your style, tight muscles when tired during the MdS. An injury is now waiting to happen!
5. Plateau = every day is the same lethargic and tired no real zest for life = Do alternative exercise like core or strength training.
6. Stress – from trying to fit in too much for more than six months and neglecting the rest of your life. Now is the time to catch up with friends and family and get things done that you have delayed doing.
FINISHER = Finished Intelligently Now in Side Hurt Excited (to) Race – DON’T!
INJURY = Injury Now Just Underperform Racing Year – avoid the temptation to complete a race to soon will ruin the rest of this year.
EUPHORIC = Eager Underperforms Proud Happy Over Racing Invincible Competitive.
HAPPY = Happy After Proudly Participating (in the MDS) and have gone that extra YARD!
After it finally sinks in that you have finished the MdS you will want to replicate that same euphoric feeling again. Hold back before telling everyone of your next venture.
How to beat the Post –MdS Blues!
You have devoted a lot of time and effort to fit in training now you do not need to.
Expect to feel lost and empty for up to 6 months afterwards.
YOU
“You have the same dedication but now have no target.
“You” have determination but no MdS endorphins
“You” still have drive but no Huge purpose.
“You” have more free time than before and no short term goal.
What you do next is important to beat the Post MdS Blues.
Avoid procrastination about what might have been. Write down the whole race and what you learnt. How good was your pace nutrition and non competitive mind?
Add to the list as you recall the MdS in your mind.
Making notes will stop your mind keep self questioning and causing negative Ironman Blues.
Recover from the Marathon de Sables post race blues.
Plan a holiday with your swim bike run kit.
A treat for a feat – Reward yourself for the sacrifices you have made.
What next? Is there Life after Ironman?
1. Try something new like Yoga, Core class, Body pump, self defence build up slowly not at 100%
This will be refreshing and good for the mind.
2. Help out or go an watch a competition such as a marathon triathlon, this will soon get you motivated again and realise what is involved in being a marshal or race crew.
3. Train with others.
Train with others at a slower pace as a more social group, no need just yet to train hard.
4. Join a gym and use different machines. Aim for low impact exercises.
5. Make your own healthy smoothie drinks.
6. Not convinced with the above?
A few select MdS competitors compete soon after they have crossed the finish line?
(a) They were much quicker
(b) They have the luxury of not having to work and can recover much quicker.
(c) They have much younger
All of the above will result in being injured in the future.
Speedy recovery!