Post-Marathon Hangover

There is one thing to know that will happen after every marathon: a post-marathon hangover. A day or two after the race, you'll experience it. Yes, it's a real thing—not a depressing kind, but more of a "not quite sure what to do" type of hangover. It can confuse even the most experienced runners. The pattern is almost always the same. The afternoon of the marathon, you're exhausted and feel totally out of it. The day after, you're sore but still soaking in the success and glory of accomplishing such a big feat. In the few days following, you may continue to feel energized as you run into friends and have great conversations about the race. But after all that, the hangover begins.

You should know that this is actually normal. After so much time and energy focused on a single goal, it's very common for runners to feel lost when it’s over. When it's all done, that focus and energy has nowhere to go. Rest assured, you're not alone in experiencing this.

How to Handle It: Refocus your energy. You found the time and energy to do the training, and now those things aren't blocking up your calendar. Be productive with your newly discovered free time. Catch up with friends or do things you wouldn’t normally do when training so hard. During marathon training, you likely declined many invitations—make up for it now.

Wait a few weeks before making any big decisions about your running future. Maybe you had an amazing marathon and you're immediately ready to sign up for the next one. Just make sure any decisions about your future in running are thoughtful and logical.