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Mental health is an important part of being a runner. Find out what our ShokzStar team has to say about enduring the highs and lows of racing.
Rachel Capone
Instagram: @rach_runs_rva
Years Active: Athlete for most of my life (soccer player), runner since about 2014
Q: How would you describe coming down from a “runner’s high,” or that euphoric feeling after a race or PR?
A: I feel motivated and excited when I come down from a “runner's high”. It makes me hungry for more. It lights a fire in me that makes me want to work harder.
Q: What are some ways you cope with these effects and prioritize your mental health after races or completing a goal?
A: While I do feel very positive effects after a PR, I give myself plenty of time for rest and recovery post race. I give myself a solid 1-2 weeks off from any activity minus stretching, yoga or super light cardio. To avoid burnout, I feel rest & recovery are critical. I take this time to plan out what's next.
Sandy Stiner
Instagram: @kirbyandzuzu
Years Active: 36 years as a runner
Q: How would you describe coming down from a “runner’s high,” or that euphoric feeling after a race or PR?
A: After finishing a huge race (100-miler) or getting a PR (like I did at my 50k this year) I do have a sense of let down because that goal is over and done with and sometimes there’s nothing to fill the place, no race to focus on. It’s odd how you can feel let down after finishing a big race, even if you did great. I compare it to being a kid that got a ton of Christmas presents. You open them and when you open the last one you realize there’s nothing left to open. And even though you have all these great presents (accomplishments) there’s nothing left to open (no races planned.)
Q: What are some ways you cope with these effects and prioritize your mental health after races or completing a goal?
A: I deal with it by planning my next races or goals. Maybe it is a new race I sign up for, or hitting a more major race goal (like hitting my 100th marathon/ultra, coming next year!) Over the winter, when there are no races and I don’t feel motivated to run and know there are no races til spring-then I do my cross-training. I get back on my rower and work the entire body. I supplement with running. It gives my mind a huge break by focusing on a different sport for a few months.
Janice McDonald
Instagram: @lilmzchief
Years Active: 2 years running, athlete for 14 years
Q: How would you describe coming down from a “runner’s high,” or that euphoric feeling after a race or PR?
A: There's a moment when there's a stark contrast between being really "high" from having an achievement than the feeling that I'm "at the bottom of the barrel".
Q: What are some ways you cope with these effects and prioritize your mental health after races or completing a goal?
A: Over the years, I found a few things to help me cope mentally:
- Give myself permission to truly enjoy my achievement, share the experience with others, and revel in what happened. I used to feel guilty about "bragging" and downplaying my achievements. Then, I found out that some people found what I have done inspiring so I became more willing to share.
- I think about what's next and what I want to improve and set up my next goal(s). I noticed that I love myself when I'm focused and zoned in so I look for opportunities to be able to do that. I fall in love with the journey of becoming better or satisfying my curiosity.
- I get myself back to my training routine as soon as possible. I give myself time to rest but I realize that it's easier for me mentally when I'm working on a plan that keeps me moving forward. As much as I love new experiences, I realize that the familiarity of my routines helps me feel "whole". Even if that means carving out 15-20 mins to meditate daily. It's a habit I can take anywhere I go.
Lauren Perry
Instagram: @laurenadelaide
Years Active: I have been a serious runner for 10 years now and an athlete all my life.
Q: How would you describe coming down from a “runner’s high,” or that euphoric feeling after a race or PR?
A: I would describe coming down from a runner’s high or the euphoric feeling after a race as the ultimate survival moment. Not only have you done something so difficult, you lived to see the end of it and celebrate it. The end of a race is such a phenomenal "I did it!" moment. You survived every awful, trying moment of the race and made it to the end. I really don’t think there is anything better than the amazing way you feel when you have done something especially difficult. You DID it.
Q: What are some ways you cope with these effects and prioritize your mental health after races or completing a goal?
A: The way that I cope with the effects of coming OFF of a runner’s high is by trying really hard to celebrate the achievement that I have just reached. Once you're at the top of a mountain, you get to take a moment to look around. Look at the view. Look at and recognize the importance of what you've just done. I really try my best to enjoy and relish the moment of big achievements. After I complete a goal, I try to enjoy life after completing it by not expecting anything right away from myself. You need time to recover and just BE! Try to remember that you are not defined by your best day nor by your worst day. Setting realistic expectations for afterward is so important. Know that you do not have to make a new goal right away. You did something awesome and now you DESERVE to rest.
Sarah Bulin
Instagram: @runningforbeers
Years Active: Running for about 7 years
Q: How would you describe coming down from a “runner’s high,” or that euphoric feeling after a race or PR?
A: I've always called in a "fun hangover". You've reached that peak, then have that hard crash after the dopamine wears off. Just kind of like a mourning period, that everything you've been working for is over.
Q: What are some ways you cope with these effects and prioritize your mental health after races or completing a goal?
A: I'm all about setting new goals. Have a new thing to look forward to. It doesn't have to be huge. Just a little something to keep you looking forward.
COURTNEY BROWN
Instagram: @courtney_the_bunny
Years Active: 4
Q: How would you describe coming down from a “runner’s high,” or that euphoric feeling after a race or PR?
A: Sometimes it just feels like I’m tired or lethargic. But it can affect me mentally in a negative thoughts/anxiety kind of way. Like if recovering from a hard long run or race, I’ll ask myself if I’m getting out of shape. I would sometimes think after a race that I needed a next big event to do to make me feel more “worthy” as a runner. If I have an injury, it definitely compounds on that, because I’ll still run lightly, but I’ll be slower/less, and it’ll feel like I won’t get back to where I was before. That’s a gutting feeling. I think overall I feel like I’m slowly losing the thing that made me special.
Q: What are some ways you cope with these effects and prioritize your mental health after races or completing a goal?
A: Time has taught me a lot. After going through the ups and downs often, I know that the low might be expected, but it’s not real. I spent a lot of time researching the importance of rest so I could reinforce why I was training at a lower volume and how good that is for me to stay in shape. That was huge after my first marathon because I tried to just keep pushing and my heart rate was going up and up. I tell myself that kind of training doesn’t make me a better runner. I focus on challenging yoga and strength training activities so I can do good things for my body that I need, things I have to work toward (weights, poses) that aren’t running. When I’m ready, I try to start a new training plan, because the structure of following a plan really helps me stay grounded.
Most importantly, for any intrusive thought, I remind myself to talk to myself as if I’m another runner. If another runner came to me a week after a marathon and said “I feel like I’m getting out of shape, and like I’m not good enough if I can’t run 15 fast miles right now”, I would have to say “You are an amazing, kind, funny rockstar who is capable of great things, and each week doesn’t have to be a hard race to prove your worth”.
