Things You'll Need:
- A great meal including dessert
-
Step 1
Immediately following the race, concentrate on drinking plenty of water and eating nutritious food. Usually, some food is provided at the finish line. Eat some of the dishes and then go out to dinner with your teammates, family or friends.
-
Step 2
Understand that you will feel a compulsion to rest. Traveling home the day after your race will provide some natural downtime. Barring that, clear your calendar for this day and do little but eat, stretch and drink water.
-
Step 3
Resume light workouts within a few days of your race; swimming and easy cycling will be particularly helpful. Avoid endurance workouts, especially endurance runs, for the first week following the race and perhaps longer if you're still fatigued. Keep in mind that an Ironman race strains the body, and time is required to repair that strain.
-
Step 4
If you still have races on the calendar, it will be important to resume training sessions in time to allow for a ramp-up and taper phase before the next event. If the Ironman represented the finale of your triathlon season, you may wish to ease into a lighter schedule of workouts designed to maintain your fitness at a level appropriate to your goals.
-
Step 5
Understand that post-race melancholy is normal. You may find that without the intense focus you've been placing on your race, your thoughts seem scattered. You may be sad that your goal came and went. Be patient with yourself through this stage.
