Still feeling emotionally DEVASTATED after bonking @ Boston

Almost everyone who runs marathons has sometimes done what you did.

Hold your head up and look forward to the next one. Look on the bright side--you had trained yourself into PR shape. Next time you'll run smarter.

Two weeks before Boston I attempted my first marathon after a string of DNS's due to injuries. I managed to arrive at the starting line fit and healthy. Not accustomed to what running after a big taper feels like, I went out too hard and crashed, and ended up doing a fair amount of walking. I did manage to BQ by a safe margin but only because I'm an old woman and the BQ standards are rather ridiculous. After sulking about it for a few days, I'm now looking on the bright side and planning to redeem myself next time.

Never look back.

I was also in PR shape at age 40 after doing the highest mileage of my life and then bombed at Boston.

My strategy now: run a much flatter, smaller fall marathon that's more conducive to getting a PR. The summer weather will also make for much better training conditions. Run Boston very conservatively next year, and if I feel good go for a negative split, otherwise just enjoy the experience.

Your fitness will at least carryover and should set you up for another good training cycle.

Take some time off and read or listen to the Bhagavad Gita . You need some serious soul searching, not kidding. Good luck!

Use this as emotional leverage to get in better shape, and save up a few bucks to fly to berlin next time around where you have a much higher chance of good weather and an even faster course.

Why Yuki has a good idea of racing a marathon every month. Why put all your eggs in one basket? Spread them out.

dfa wrote:

Got a serious case of post-marathon blues.

Trained 5 months into a PR ready shape, then got "got" by humidity and bad race strategy.

Had to walk the "walk of shame" in the last 3 miles, and missed even a BQ altogether.

Feeling DEVASTATED like I just died a little inside.

Any tips for coping with these post-marathon blues?

looking back, I realized that I did not take in enough nutrition before my marathons. A 9 AM start requires a 4 AM wake up, bagel with peanut butter, back to bed for 45 minutes. After I did this, no more bonking.

The GOAT told RW

To stay at the front, he only looks ahead. Kipchoge compares competing in running to driving a Ferrari.

“If you concentrate on the rear mirror,” he told Runner’s World, “you’ll crash and cause an accident.”

Read Meb's 26 Marathons book. His outlook is uplifting.

I can't help you but I have a story that you may be able to relate to.

A few years ago a runner I coached in high school ran Boston with a legitimate goal of running an Olympic Trials Qualifying time.

It was warm, she had a bad day and ran 3:01. People were telling her (on social media) how GREAT she did, she was a rock star, all the usual hobby jogger stuff.

I talked to her- she told me that she was devastated, she everything into that one effort and it didn't work out. The people telling her how great she did, although they meant well, actually made it worse.

Hang in there. The marathon is a monster. Relax, you'll come back. Try to learn from the experience.

I trained a lot but also got zapped by the heat and missed a BQ by a few minutes. Thinking about racing another one this weekend but I don't think I'll be ready with only a 13 day gap between races. I've done a similar back-to-back before but either I'm getting too old or I just went too deep into the redzone at Boston because I still feel like garbage.

.

dfa wrote:

Got a serious case of post-marathon blues.

Trained 5 months into a PR ready shape, then got "got" by humidity and bad race strategy.

Had to walk the "walk of shame" in the last 3 miles, and missed even a BQ altogether.

Feeling DEVASTATED like I just died a little inside.

Any tips for coping with these post-marathon blues?

Happened to me in the fall of 2015, and nothing you see on this board will make you feel better. It's a helpless feeling when you do everything right for 18+ weeks and have a disaterous day.

Good news is that it was my 4th marathon, and I've done 6 since that race without it happening again. But it is a thought/memory that is always in my head the week of an event.

Go sign up for a close-to-you half marathon, mentally prove to yourself that it was just a bad day, and pick a new goal race for the late summer/fall.

dfa wrote:

Got a serious case of post-marathon blues.

Trained 5 months into a PR ready shape, then got "got" by humidity and bad race strategy.

Had to walk the "walk of shame" in the last 3 miles, and missed even a BQ altogether.

Feeling DEVASTATED like I just died a little inside.

Any tips for coping with these post-marathon blues?

It happens brother. I blew up in epic fashion during my first marathon last year. I know it was my first, but I am not a newbie runner, I had visions of breaking 3:30 on a tough, hilly course, and was running really well and comfortable and then by mile 12, my stomach blew up and by mile 17, my legs wouldn't stop spazzing. I got pretty dehydrated from loosing my stomach and ended up nearly passing out at the end and needing an IV. 2 hours later I was housing a bunch of food and just smiling, thankful it was nothing too serious and that my family was there with me enjoying a big post race meal.

I recovered pretty well after the race. Chilled the following week, got some strength work in, a few easy runs and strides, and ended up setting a 5k PR 2 weeks later.

That fitness didn't go away, I'd probably find a shorter race and capitalize on the strength you acquired during your build up. Just be thankful you crossed the line and lived to see another day.

You failed miserably. What has been done cannot be undone. You failed.

Unfortunately, unless your name is Kipchoge it is going to happen with the marathon. The suckiest part is there are times when you have no freakin idea the why. It is best to try and figure out what happened, but you may just have to chalk it up to you just had a bad day.

Be a man, stop being so emotional and move on. Ego blew your race up and Ego is keeping you down. You are tougher than you think and a hard ass whipping can't keep you down. It does not define you. What defines you is how you handle yourself after you get your butt kicked. Get back on your feet, and laugh at yourself. Come back humbled and determined to be a better man. We have all been in your shoes! Lets find out what we are made of.

dfa wrote:

Got a serious case of post-marathon blues.

Trained 5 months into a PR ready shape, then got "got" by humidity and bad race strategy.

Had to walk the "walk of shame" in the last 3 miles, and missed even a BQ altogether.

Feeling DEVASTATED like I just died a little inside.

Any tips for coping with these post-marathon blues?

Don't fret. I did that in a half marathon, my first ever competitive road race way back in 1975. Ran the first half WAY to fast cause I felt good, ate it big time with 3 miles or so to go. Ended doing a walk/jog the remainder. Sympathetic senior citizen runners (as I am now) as they went by me shouted encouragement. Tried to get out of going to work that day cause I could hardly walk but an unsympathetic nursing supervisor wouldn't let me. Vowed to be ready for the next one, of which there was only one I ever did following that (I was ready for that one though). Made me realize I would always be a track and not a road runner. Lesson learned, the hard way.

Post marathon depression is real and is

there even if you ran a great race.

Maybe because now that it's over we have nothing to look forward to. I don't know and can't explain it but it happens to me every time about a week after. But maybe I'm just nutzzzzz.

if it's any consolation, Trump is still your President.

Life is more than a marathon PR.

Find some motivation outside of running and do all the things you delayed because of the training obsession. Put your hobby in a healthier perspective.