Shakeout: Aftermath

Creating space for emotional recovery

A few days following the Boston Marathon, I woke up feeling surprisingly normal. By normal, I’m referring specifically to my body. There was some lingering tightness and occasional soreness, as one would expect after running 26.2 tough miles from Hopkinton to Boston. Yet, my level of physical discomfort was not unlike what I typically experience following a really long outing or mega workout.

While my body seemed well on its way to making a relatively smooth recovery, a quick peek inside my brain suggested that ‘normal’ may not be the best descriptor for my mental state. Empty. Overwhelmed. Edgy. Complacent. Vexed. Satisfied. Stressed. Unstressed. My emotions have been running the gamut since the marathon ended, which suggests my mind will require significantly longer to recover.

Even though we all pay lip service to giving ourselves a mental break, many of us don’t spend enough time actually giving our brains (and our emotions) what they need. Which is, space and time to process the big life event that just took place. You can’t spend 3 months – or in my case: 11 years – building up to something like the Boston Marathon, and then simply let it all go a few days later.

For paid subscribers, this week’s Shakeout offers a few thoughts on constructing a personal narrative that may help you put your big race into perspective. Plus, a look at a marathon recovery week with a transition back to the trails.