I finished the Boston Marathon on Monday and while I feel great about it, there is always a bit of a let down afterwards. It’s similar to how the blues can set in after a major holiday. Having completed a few races I’ve come up with a few strategies to help curb those feelings.

• Rest. I know this sounds obvious, but take days (weeks if you’ve run a marathon) to let your body recover.
• Treat yourself. Get a massage or a haircut, anything to really pamper yourself.
• Do some cross training. Now is the perfect time to try swimming a few laps or going for a bike ride with a friend. Just don’t do anything too strenuous.
• Find another race. Pick out another race to train for. Ideally, make it a different distance than your last one so you can vary your workout routine.
• If you feel like it, do some short runs (20-30 minutes) on grass or soft surfaces.

A few more notes about Boston. It was wonderful weather this year, about 40-50 degrees with a slight wind. My sister and I finished together in 3:33 after slowing down a little on Heartbreak Hill. The fans, as always, were inspiring and really made the race worth every step. On the course, fans handed out orange slices, jelly beans, tissues, sponges with water, Vaseline and water. Without the people of Hopkinton, Natick, Ashland, Framingham, Wellesley, Newton, Brookline and of course Boston, the race would not be what it is!

Read more about Boston’s 2009 marathon stories here.

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Leslie Patton
I moved to the Chicago area about two months ago to start graduate school at Northwestern. So far, so good. More