Tips from a Running Coach: Motivation After a Marathon

How to regain the spark after running your goal race, from a running coach

It’s fall marathon season, which means every weekend there are more and more people running marathons. People running their first marathon or their fiftieth marathon. People crushing PRs and people struggling through every mile (me). But after you’ve crossed the finish line, the question is always there, whether it’s internal or external: What’s next?

I used to be terrified of this question. As I’ve mentioned previously, running is the only exercise I’ve only been consistent with, and the only reason I ever ran at all was because I signed up for a marathon for the last three years and couldn’t handle the embarrassment of dropping out because I didn’t train enough. I was honestly incredibly scared that without a crazy goal to work towards, I would immediately slip back into my sedentary ways. So when I finished the Berlin Marathon in September (see below), and it was the first time I had finished a marathon without another marathon already on my calendar, I was immediately anxious about maintaining my running schedule.

A lot of runners struggle with the “what’s next” question, whether that be because they’re worried about dropping a form of movement that has brought them peace (whatever that means to them), losing fitness, or even in this age of “always training for something” and “no days off” they’ll be viewed as “lazy” by others. And, post-marathon blues are a very real thing:

“As Dr. Beth McQuiston, neurologist and medical director of Diagnostics at Abbott, explained, post-marathon blues are very real and are rooted in the brain’s chemistry. The dopamine (a “happy” chemical released in the brain) runners experience when crossing the finish line and the endorphins (another positive chemical signal) they’ve benefited from throughout the training process and race can plumet. Neurotransmitters such as dopamine are the brain’s chemical messengers that impact how we experience emotions. As McQuiston put it, finishing a race can feel like “pulling the plug on the neurotransmitter sink,” leaving runners feeling low after their body and brain are pulled out of the pattern they’ve adapted to.”

All that to say, if you’ve crossed your finish line and feel a little sad and a little lost, that is honestly pretty normal.

I have definitely felt a bit lost the last month. I made an intentional decision not to sign up for another marathon yet, knowing how much of a toll the training took on me over the summer. Which was probably the right decision - but my motivation to take care of myself has certainly taken a nosedive.

So what to do? Here are some suggestions based on what’s been working for me:

Disclaimer: While I am a certified running coach , I have no credentials in mental health, psychology, or specifically sport psychology, etc. This is not meant as any kind of medical advice.

1. Rediscovering hobbies (and an identity) outside of running. My first job was working at an arts and crafts store, and over the years of working I have gradually stopped crafting pretty much entirely. I’ve started devoting an hour or two a night to it, keeping my mind and hands busy. And I baked my first apple pie (from scratch!) over the weekend.

2. Cross-training.  When the motivation to run is low, it’s the perfect time to explore other forms of movement that will benefit your running when (if) you decide to train for another race. My exercises of choice: strength training and yoga.

3. Following athletes and creators that inspire me. I’ve been reading Keira D’Amato’s new book, “Don’t Call it a Comeback” and it’s an awesome read. I might not be so inspired I’m going to run a marathon tomorrow, but it’s keeping that running spark alive. And if you need a pick-me-up, nothing works better than an episode of the My First Marathon Podcast, reminding me how I felt when I started doing this - and why I keep doing this.

4. Focusing on small(er) goals. While I’m still trying not to immediately start training for another marathon, I’ve found that part of the allure of running for me is trying to be better than I was the day before, and goals are an important part of my relationship with running. And that’s ok. But the goal doesn’t have to be finishing a marathon. I’m focusing on smaller goals in my running now and have started a new, low-pressure training plan for a 5K at the end of the year.

5. Taking time to be proud of what I’ve accomplished. It is so easy to tick races off your list one after the other. But I just ran a freaking marathon. We don’t need to immediately write off that accomplishment in favor of a more impressive one. Preach, Simone Biles.

So if you don’t know what’s next, if you don’t have the motivation you once did without a training plan on the calendar - take a breath and enjoy the moment. It’s ok to take some time to figure it out.