I feel like Webster’s should just put #2020 on all definitions related to burnout, exhaustion, overwhelm, etc, right? It’s certainly the year for it.
But what is running burnout? It doesn’t just mean being tired, though that is definitely a factor. Burnout also includes being emotionally or mentally tired, feeling overwhelmed and unmotivated to continue with training or your run routine. So lets talk about some ways to avoid running burnout.
Mix Things Up
Maybe you run the same route again and again (guilty). Try seeking out a new one. If you’re a road runner, try out a few trails. Sometimes getting out of your comfort zone or standard routine can help you appreciate a whole new aspect of running.
Cross Train
Admittedly one of my “do as I say not as I do” pieces of advice. I’m historically not a great cross trainer, but I have good intentions. Sometimes the key to avoid run burnout, is to…stop running. Wait! Hear me out! Not forever of course, but take a day or a few…maybe even a week and do something else.
Have you wanted to get more into biking? Swimming? I’m a no on both of those things, but I understand many people are fans. 😉 For me long walks, HIIT style workouts, or yoga can take away the feeling of “having” to run all the time.
Let go of Expectations
A lot of runners have Type A personalities, especially when it comes to our runs. Whether it’s completing every scheduled training run to the letter or keeping up with a certain pace as directed, after awhile it can become exhausting. More exhausting than the event you’re actually training for. We often think that missing a run will completely derail our training efforts, but it’s just not true. Read more on that here. Try taking a day off, or altering the schedule and running a run that YOU want to do, regardless of what the plan says.
As with most things in life, if you’re not enjoying it, you’re not likely to keep doing it. When expectations (even, maybe especially, self imposed) get to be too much, think about what it is you love about running, and reconnect with it. Maybe you love trail running and haven’t done it in awhile. Maybe you love to run at the beach. Whatever it is, go for it and don’t worry about a prescribed pace or distance. Just have fun.
Create a New Goal
If you’re not on the Type A spectrum, then maybe the opposite will be true for you. Maybe you find yourself in a rut, running the same aimless 3 mile loop again and again. Try signing up for a race, a 5k or a 10k, maybe more depending on how wild you’re feeling. If you’re sensing a pattern here, you’re right. Just do something different. Remember that old saying about doing the same thing over and over and expecting something different to happen? It’s just not going to work.
(R)unplug
Listen, you’re not alone if you have a beaut of a watch tan line. I don’t go anywhere without mine, how many steps have I taken, what’s my pace, how’s my heart rate, I’m a data geek. Sometimes though, it can help to get out of our own heads and just run. Run at an effort that feels comfortable, until we feel like stopping. Incorporating an “unplugged” run once in awhile can help with run funk.
Treat yo self
When all else fails, I’m definitely not above a bribe. Sometimes to get myself to do something I don’t feel like doing, I need a reward. Yes, I’m twelve years old. Most of my rewards are food related, such as getting a big stack of pancakes after a long run. Other things can help too. Maybe there’s something you’ve really had your eye on. Come up with a goal for yourself and once achieved, get it for yourself. Obviously I’m not saying if you run a marathon you’ve earned a new car (unless you have the means, in which case I’m jealous) but you get what I’m saying.
Getting out of your own head and changing up some scenery can really help bring a different perspective to things. It could even be that running itself isn’t the problem. Especially in a year where most of us have been staring at the same 4 walls for an awfully long time.
A final thought. Go easy on yourself, you’re doing ok.