CallMeRuPaul wrote: »

This was posted on another site and was curious to know if others have felt the same way? Thanks. ~crg


Yesterday at 4:04pm · Edited.

I ran a 50 miler last weekend and have sunk into a slight depression over the last week. I'm fine and not suicidal or anything so nobody get all worried. This isn't the first time I have felt like this and I'm sure won't be the last. What I am asking is does anyone else go through something like a depression after running an ultra?

I went through this for a while after my first ironman... it was the strangest thing.

Very real and very normal. Seems to me that there is a correlation between the length of the training cycle and the length and severity of the post-race depression. The more time and energy that we put into preparing, the further we fall after the event is over.

I have not run an ultra but after finishing my marathon in January I felt lost. I was no longer in training mode and didn't really know what to do with my Sundays (no long training runs). I quickly signed up for two 1/2 marathons so I had some focus. I think that is totally normal.

snowflakesav wrote: »

This is normal. Some people say it is from all the damage ultra running does at a cellular level...your body is dealing with the waste of lots of depleted cells. ( my liver always feels like a brick about 5 days afterward).

I wouldn't be surprised!! ... The mind-body connection remains such a mystery.

I finished a 44km last weekend, and I have definitely felt a bit like a part of my life is over and I guess a few days were like a downer.
I was randomly distraught and cried (out loud, ugly cry in front of people haha) at the 40km mark and I think that it was partially a physiological thing, because I mean logically at that distance most people would probably see that they're nearly there and not start crying. I could never figure out a reason for it.

Also yeah, with anything like that its often a huge part of your existence for ages, you think and talk and breathe it during your training. That's how it was for me in the past 20 weeks and even before that with pre training and signing up. I guess it is almost like being in a relationship where you speak to someone every day and then it ends all of the sudden and you're not sure how to fill that empty space in your heart.

What has helped since is just time, focus on nutrition, recovering a little bit and doing some weights (upper body) and gentle biking, thinking about what my next goal might be. And, actually spending some time letting it sink in, laying in bed and saying to myself "I did that, look at my medal up on that wall. I trained hard and I earned it and that's pretty awesome"

i've heard this depression can be a result of cortisol being produced. running or any activity for extended periods of time puts great stress on our bodies.

It's PMS...postmarathon syndrome.