Post Marathon Stress Disorder, (aka Post Traumatic Race Disorder).
You spend months training to reach your goal, whatever that
is, and you smash it. But then what? You imagine you’ll carry on training exactly
as before, up and out before the birds, determined and focussed. But actually,
rarely is this the case, unless there’s some other reason to keep on running. You start to cancel runs, you get put off by a
little wind or rain, or sun, social engagements suddenly move up a place on the
weekly agenda.
It’s good to have a little slump time. Cheers to that!
But then it’s time to crack on. Like everyone else, I’d love
to be fitter, healthier, thinner, but try as I might, those things on their own
are simply not enough to get me to put my trainers on. After all, I can always start
tomorrow.
I’m very lucky these days because I run with other people as
my mission in life as well as my job. I hate to admit it, but other people are
‘what’ motivates me these days. This from the girl who’s live-by mantra used to
be ‘I am a rock, I am an island’
I went out for a work social last night, a fantastic Indian meal,
paid for by the company. 35 of us, all ages and backgrounds, volunteers,
workers, friends partners and family. I
met a lady there, a retired PE teacher who made a flippant comment that’s made
me think. She said that people (and government funding streams!) generally
think that fitness comes first, then the social elements. But they’re wrong
(she commented), actually the social element comes first.
By way of example:
On this morning’s school run (yes we ran, we were focussed
on not being late!) I chatted to a very lovely self-confessed unhealthy lady
who wants to lose a few pounds. She’d seen me training someone on the promenade
last week, and suddenly she thought, hey, if he can do it, then maybe I can. So
we chatted, and hopefully she’ll let me teach her and her daughter how to run.
Do you see what happened there? She knows damn well, like
all of us, that we need to get up and out and fit and healthy. But was that
enough? Nope. But the social element of seeing someone else out there, the
social element of the chat on the school run, the social element of joining
with her daughter…. These may be the things that get her up and running.
I’m smiling as I realise how motivating that little
conversation was for me. I even rushed home to tell my partner , and I imagine
messaging the bloke she’d seen training to also encourage him. I wanted to
spread the word.
That’s how it’s done. Yes we can rave about obesity, we can
count calories and read the warning on cigarette packets as we light up, and
sugar content as we down the last square of chocolate.
But actually maybe it’s the social element that really
works. It’s the people you’re with and the people you’re fighting for, or
Walk2Running for. And maybe that’s the at least part of the solution to PMSD. Or PTRD. Or even,
dare I say it Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
For information on safeTALK Suicide Alertness For Everyone, please click the dates below.
Or to arrange training for your organisation please contact me at Jacky @Walk2Run.org
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