A magic-eating mental monster.
A lot of the exhilaration of running is wearing off for me lately. The magic seems to be gone. Maybe this is normal; 2012 was such an amazing year for my running; it makes sense that I'd be a little worn down and a little over-done.
I feel lost. I miss what running used to be for me. I love doing a race a month, but I miss just being true to my body. I miss the unencumbered joy that running can bring. I miss just being happy to get out there; now nearly every run feels like a chore. I can't remember the last run that had me talking and venting and laughing and bonding...The social side of it just feels...gone.
In short, I think I'm tired of training. I know I can run and improve without forcing every run to be simply for the purpose of the next race, but as long as running feels like work, I'm not going to be happy about hitting the pavement. The run should have value in itself. I just want to enjoy it again.
I'm playing with the idea of going back to evening runs. Part of the problem is exhaustion, as usual, and fatigue from work. If I need to change things up to rekindle my love of the run, then I will. I don't want to hit a slump and stay there. I want to be recharged. I want this year to rival the last. I want to be happy with running again.
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| PS, how awkward is THIS Nike+ badge? |
Have you considered taking an extended break from running? I'm just now coming back after 6(!!!) weeks off, and found myself doing sprinting drills just to enjoy the playfulness of kicking up my heels. I'm surprised at how refreshed I feel!
ReplyDeleteI have, but I was hoping I could keep going until race season officially ends, around May. I have races already scheduled, and after my next half on March 3 I know I'll be able to scale back a bit. But I want to train up until that half so that I'm well-prepared for it.
DeleteI hate scaling back because running is my one form of exercise. I can't afford a gym, and I get really moody and depressed if I'm not active. But I am looking forward to cutting down my mileage after the March half.