Post-Marathon Hibernation? (Read 1077 times)

Hi all, I just ran my first marathon last Sunday. Ever since then, I'm finding that I'm sleeping much longer than usual. Prior to the race, I was sleeping between 6-7 hours a night. After the marathon I'm sleeping 10+ hours and still feeling like I could sleep longer. Is this normal? I can't tell if my body is just that exhausted from the race, or if I'm fighting something else off. I feel like a sloth since I haven't exercised at all this week, but even though I set my alarm to go to the gym, I fall back into a deep sleep after I turn it off. I'm curious as to whether this has happened to anyone else (or if I'm subconsciously making excuses for not working out).

Generally, I'd say that it's normal, although 10+ for this long might be a little too much sleep. Too much sleep is just as bad as not enough. As for excuses to not work out, you just ran a marathon. You are entitled to a week or more off if you want, although you might not want to take it completely off. I ran a marathon on Sunday (my 11th). I raked leaves on Monday for a few hours, and was in the pool for 30 minutes yesterday (Thursday). I plan on raking leaves again tonight and heading to the weight room next week to start a new program. You might want to try to find some cross training that you can do that might help get you back to your normal sleeping patterns. Generally, I get up at the same time every day no matter what. My body knows enough to make me tired and tell me to go to bed early the night before when I need more sleep. You have to be willing to listen to it and actually go to bed at 8:00 if you are tired, but it works well for me.

Hi all, I just ran my first marathon last Sunday. Ever since then, I'm finding that I'm sleeping much longer than usual. Prior to the race, I was sleeping between 6-7 hours a night. After the marathon I'm sleeping 10+ hours and still feeling like I could sleep longer. Is this normal? I can't tell if my body is just that exhausted from the race, or if I'm fighting something else off. I feel like a sloth since I haven't exercised at all this week, but even though I set my alarm to go to the gym, I fall back into a deep sleep after I turn it off. I'm curious as to whether this has happened to anyone else (or if I'm subconsciously making excuses for not working out).

I agree with the 2 previous posts, but, I also wanted a turn at quoting

Well, I quoted first!

He who quotes last, laughs best.

Everyone recovers differently --- but I'd think more about it if it lasts for a long time !

Thanks for the feedback everyone! I made myself get up this morning at my "usual time" so that I could get to the gym and also run. As much as I enjoyed staying under the covers, it was nice to be reminded how much better I felt after a run.

Do you have a goal for the future? Another race, mileage goal, weight loss goal? Having a reason to run is important. We often lose our MOJO when we aren't running for a purpose. The purpose can be as simple as maintaining fitness until I decide where to race next. It's all in the mind.