Only 3 weeks to go until Carrie and running buddy Michelle take on Manchester Marathon. I checked in with Carrie to see how training was going:
“So that’s it, all the training is done. I did the last training run of 20 miles on Saturday, it went really well better than I thought! My legs felt really strong and I finished feeling like I’d still got 6 miles in me which gave me loads of confidence.
The training has gone so differently this time in a good way, it has definitely got something to do with the different food plan that I’m on and also the HIIT sessions that I’m still doing.
The only thing I’ve found a little different this time is my mood swings, either the next day after a long run or a couple of days later I feel really low and tearful and can’t seem to get myself out of it. I also feel like I’m coming down with a really bad cold, but then either the next day or the day after I’m fine and back to normal (my husband would probably disagree ha ha). I have looked into this and apparently it’s called post long run blues, it’s quite common with people that do long runs and can take a couple of days to feel like your you again. It’s not a nice feeling though and after suffering from depression a long time ago it does feel a bit like your in that black hole again and can’t get out. But thankfully that’s the only downside to this training and believe me there are a lot of positives that come out of it.”
Coach’s Note: I must admit I wasn’t aware of post long run blues but I have spoken who runners who have felt very flat after completing a ‘big’ race. All that focus for so many weeks and suddenly left a bit empty. A lot is said about the mental health benefits of running so it’s interesting to hear another angle and many thanks to Carrie for sharing with us. Has anybody else experienced something similar and can offer any advice or tips?