Racing right after a target event can be a risky business but if you need a spark to maintain your mojo then becoming a support star could be just the ticket.
After months of tough workouts and the completion of an ‘A’ race, everybody deserves to celebrate a little, recover and reset.
But endurance runners are notorious for finding it difficult to take their foot off the gas. There are countless numbers who have finished very long races – marathon and up – only to jump straight back into hard training for other events to get their next ‘fix’.
Loosening your grip on the discipline of training, hard-earned fitness or the need for a big challenge can be hard mentally, emotionally and physically; yet not doing so can lead to injury or burnout.
So what’s the alternative? Many prescribe signing up for another race some way off on the calendar and, if you get the timing right, that can be great.
If you have a well thought-out, long-term training and race plan you have a good chance of avoiding the directionless feeling many get after an ‘A’ race.
There are a lot of selfless people in running, that’s for sure, but academics have shown consistently that when you give, you get something back in happiness too.
But whether you are a planner, getting coaching or just winging it, there’s an ingredient you can easily add to your running at any time that should nourish your mojo: helping other runners.
If you haven’t volunteered at parkrun or a race, have you ever wondered why people do it?
There are a lot of selfless people in running, that’s for sure, but academics have shown consistently that when you give, you get something back in happiness too.
As a runner, you’ll hopefully have felt the glow of achieving something in a race or enjoying an event many times. Well, volunteering can be like that – but without the training or any risk of ‘failure’.
You simply share in everybody else’s fun and feel like you are making a contribution. It’s similar if you can pace or accompany someone through a challenge (while staying firmly within your comfort zone), help them boost their training or keep it on track.
Some races and charities will give you material rewards, such as a free place in the event next time out, but if you primarily pick something you’d like to be a part of, or a cause or person you’d really like to help, research suggests you’ll probably get a bit more out of it.
Becoming a support star – and it doesn’t have to be just when you’re in a lull! - should enhance your enjoyment of the sport, of the running process. And finding fun in this process (training, running, racing, adventures, run-commuting, getting fit – the whole kit and kaboodle) is what nourishes your long-term love of the sport.
It’s a great way to be proactive in trying to avoid the post-race blues. Volunteering and supporting can give you a focus and sense of purpose while you’re trying to recover, or the enthusiasm to ease back into training when you’re feeling lethargic.
Even better, if you give back a bit, not only will you be maintaining your mojo, you’ll also be keeping the community we’re all a part of healthy into the bargain.
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