How to Bounce Back from a Bad Race Day

As David and I stood joking, rubbing our hands together and bouncing foot to foot, my thoughts were on the miles ahead. Not once in those thoughts was a worry that I wouldn’t finish. Yet, a bad race day can happen to any of us at anytime.

For me, at mile 6 the knee pain which I’d been attempting to work through for months became so unbearable that after 14 years of running it was time to take my first DNF.

Sitting on the sidelines for the next 30 minutes waiting for a ride to the finish was alternately humiliating and a revelation. It was the moment I decided we needed to do exploratory surgery.
It was the moment I had a new appreciation for everyone I’d ever seen stop.
It was the moment I remembered again that sometimes it takes more courage to stop.

Why We Have a Bad Race Day?

Let’s be honest, even the most perfect training cycle doesn’t mean race day is going to go our way. It’s the nature of relying on a body that is fickle!

• Maybe the weather was bad. Too hot. Too cold. Too windy. Too rainy.
• Maybe you’ve been stressed and not sleeping well.
• Maybe you ate something that didn’t agree with your stomach too close to race day.
• Perhaps your IT Band flared up out of no where thanks to the slanted roads.

Just like bad runs, bad races happen to us all at some point. Our goal then is to bounce back as a stronger runner both physically and mentally from that day.

One of the first things I want to cover is when can you race again because this seems to often be our first thought if there wasn’t an injury.

How Long Between Marathons?

It’s easy to get home and check for the first race within a 2-hour radius just to redeem the horrible experience. However, there are some important factors to reflect upon before you bust out your wallet.

First, consider whether you truly had a bad race or whether you are being too hard on yourself. Did you set an overly ambitious PR or first time goal in a new distance? In that case, skip this section because you aren’t ready to race again ASAP.

Didn’t go all out? Then you have options to race again soon.

If there was an issue with the weather, a painful blister, or you felt ill and pulled back or decided to call it quits mid-race, consider it a practice run and capitalize on your fitness and find another race within the next 4-6 weeks.

Half marathoners can cut the time frame back to 3-4 weeks.

What should the plan look like?

Take it easy for a couple weeks, then taper again like you did for the previous effort. Meaning give yourself a few days of recovery post race, then move on to easy runs for a couple of weeks. That will leave you with just a few speed sessions and if you finished the full race distance, you’ll likely keep your long runs fairly short during this period as well (max 18 miles in most cases, but you might find a better result from a 16 mile run with some race pace miles).

If you’re going for a PR and went all out in the failed race, then allow eight to 12 weeks between races to rest. Foregoing recovery is a recipe for a repeat of your previous effort gone wrong.

If the reason for the terrible race was due to an injury, then you need to take the time to allow your body to heal and recover. Going back out right away can just make the injury worse and last longer. Cross training may be the solution to keep you physically active until you can return to running.

As someone who has suffered from injuries, I know the pain, and this process has helped me cope mentally when I’ve been unable to run.

If you’ve now taken a step back and realized your body may not be ready to go for a hard core race performance then, it’s time to really move on to the mental recovery phase of a bad race.

Allow Yourself to Wallow, but Not for Long

Feeling sad about your performance is perfectly ok. Be angry, frustrated, cry. You put a lot of time and dedication in to your training and you have the right to feel whatever it is that you need to feel.

Then, after a few days, it’s equally important to let it go and then start the process of moving on.

Analyze What Went Wrong

A week or so after your race, once your emotions have settled and you can think more clearly, take the time dissect your race. Go over your and try to understand where the holes were.

Course Review
Was this a trail race, but you practiced mostly on road? Did you go from sea level to elevation? Had you been inside on the treadmill running flat because of weather and found yourself with some massive hills on the course? A great reminder to not set our goals independent of the course we’ve selected!

Nutrition Review
Were you plenty hydrated in the days before the race? Not just water, but electrolytes? Did you try new foods because of travel? Do you have a consistent long run meal that you need to travel with to races? Did you try a new gel on the course or forget to adjust your fueling because it’s a race and not a training run?

Sometimes, the reason for the failed attempt is controllable and carefully reviewing your training plan, diet, and race-day strategy are the keys to future successful races.

Mental Review
If everything on paper looks right, then maybe you need to check your mental preparation. Negative thoughts and self talk can be debilitating for runners. Long distance running is hard and requires mental strength just as much as physical strength, if not more so.

Kara Goucher talks about this very topic candidly in her book Strong, which includes exercises for creating mantras, positive self talk, and visualization strategies to become the best version of you.

Remember, your running career is about so much more than just one race. You will have bad races. That is a fact. Races are just one single day of a multi-month effort to reach your level of fitness. Think about the training as a whole, rather than just what happened on race day.

Embrace Other Race Distances

Try starting over. Say you’ve had a series of bad marathon performances.

Go back down to the half marathon for the next few races, this isn’t a demotion. It’s an opportunity to capitalize on your huge endurance base to then push the pace on something shorter and give yourself some additional time during the week for strength training to create that injury proof body.

Go Super Local
Another fun way to boost your confidence is to sign up for a small town race with a small field. Maybe you’ll even place in your age group. Now there’s a boost to self esteem.

New Distances
Find a 4 miler or a 10 miler or another distance you’ve never run before and you’ve got an automatic PR. Because it’s new to you, this is a chance to let go of all expectations and pressure. Just run to see what you can do at that distance.

Stay Engaged in the Running Community

Another option might simply to be falling in love with the sport all over again…possibly for more reasons than the race clock.  Here are a few ways to stay involved that might reignite a spark in you.

Volunteer at a race.
Races are always in need of more volunteers and it’s an incredibly fun and rewarding way to give back to the community. Work at an aid station and cheer on runners as the pass through.

Or, if you feel like running, seek out opportunities to serve as a pacer and lead a group to their success. If you’re a trail runner, then ask about sweeping. With those two options, you get to be a part of the race atmosphere without having to put the pressure on your own performance.

Organize events.
Lead a group of friends to a new trail once per month. Pick out the distance and a place to eat afterward and make a fun day out of it. Maybe your local running club hosts different events. Ask how you can become more involved and support your fellow teammates.

Read books about running.
I don’t know about you, but I always feel inspired to head out for a run after reading a good running book. They each offer different perspectives, ideas, and strategies, so you just may come out with the spark you need to get back out there.

Support fellow Runners.
One great way to help support other runners is on Instagram. The community is truly wonderful and incredibly supportive. There, you will find others who have experienced the same struggles as you have and you can be there to uplift those who are going through a rough patch.
Here are 10 inspirational Instagram accounts to get you started.

Volunteer for Trail Maintenance.
All those beautiful trails you love to run on? They don’t just groom themselves. Join a work party and give back to your favorite places by picking up trash, trimming overgrown plants, removing obstacles, and fixing washouts.

What do you do to recover from a bad race?

How have your failures helped you grow as a runner?

Other ways to connect with Amanda
Instagram Daily Fun: RunToTheFinish

Facebook Community Chatter: RunToTheFinish

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