Help me regain my Joy Of Running

June 1, 2009 3:31 AM

Help me regain my love for running! Started a few years ago, did a half marathon last Oct then slacked off over the winter (did a fair bit on cross trainer/ rower though) then I had my orthotic sorted out, got used to walking non-wonkily and started running again. Hooray! I had trained up properly, enjoying getting running again, did over 8 miles on Monday in preparation for the big run yesterday. Then, did the big run. 8.5 miles of hell - it was boiling hot and bright sun, the race started at 11 and I was slow - so, horrible. I know I was sensible, kept hydrated etc etc, actually feel reasonably OK today, just a bit achy. But a) I feel I failed in the race as I ran it last year find (working on that though, the main one is:) b) I really feel I do not want to go out running again. How do I break through this?

Note: it's running I want to get back into, I am not interested in swimming, cycling (can't swim well or cycle at all) I like being outside, strong and healthy, running. Anyone got any tips? Dont run at all for a while? Do a little run on Sunday? Do a long run on Sunday? Visualisations I could do? What to do? Oh and I don't want to gain weight again, I will continue with my rower and weights but I want my joy in running back!

posted by LyzzyBee to health & fitness (14 comments total)

The thing I do when I temporarily hate running is make myself go, but don't make myself go too fast, or too often to make sure I don't start hating it more. Even if it's a slow jog for only a half hour - if you do it and feel OK afterwards you're more likely to go again sooner than if you're running hard when you don't want to and hating every second of it and counting down the time.

Sign up for another race ~2 months away. Even if it's a short race (cheaper!), it'll keep you motivated to run once or twice a week to stay in shape for that race. Otherwise you really have no reason to go out there and cause yourself pain if you're not in a running mood lately.
posted by KateHasQuestions at 4:17 AM on June 1, 2009

I have a simple but brutally effective rule: Shoes on.

I force myself to get changed, get my shoes on, and get downstairs, to the gym, wherever. My rule is once I have done that, if I want to quit, want to do only two kms, whatever, then I can, guilt free.

I have found that more often than not, I end up thinking. "well I'm here, I'm changed, might as well do a little one". A little one becomes a bigger one, and before you know it, you're loving the run again.

The few occasions where I get changed, then change back again, are probably a pretty good indicator that those are times when for whatever reason I really need not to go for a run.

Also, running truly is the journey not the destination, this goes for times, distances, or any other metric you care to name imho. Who cares? You can run 20km badly and guarantee you may not be able to even walk quickly for months. Where's the fun in that? Even when it's a race, it''s really not a race. There will always be faster, and slower people than you; it doesn't mean much.
posted by smoke at 4:31 AM on June 1, 2009 [1 favorite]

Assuming you are running "the road", give trail running a shot. A change of your surrounding environment and dirt under your feet may give you a fresh take. The trees surrounding the trails will also help cut down the direct sunlight and heat.
posted by bwilms at 4:52 AM on June 1, 2009

"Also, running truly is the journey not the destination, this goes for times, distances, or any other metric you care to name imho. Who cares? You can run 20km badly and guarantee you may not be able to even walk quickly for months. Where's the fun in that? Even when it's a race, it''s really not a race. There will always be faster, and slower people than you; it doesn't mean much."

-- thanks for this bit Smoke (as well as both answers from you and KateHasQuestions of course) - I needed reminding of it. I think the nasty thing about this race was that I did it last year, ran all the way, quite sprightly even up the bad hill, and this year I was dragging myself round like I'd never trained. But in fact, if I hadn't trained, I wouldn't have been able to get round at all, and we did raise £250 for charity
posted by LyzzyBee at 4:53 AM on June 1, 2009

Definitely do the put-the-gear-on,then-I-can-quit trick. Got me through many a doldrum.

Once you do that and get out on the road, take a different route. Hell, just run *south* for a while, then some other direction, you know what I mean - totally random.
posted by notsnot at 5:22 AM on June 1, 2009

Go. Now. Just gear up and get out the door, even for 10 minutes. Or put it in your diary as an appointment to keep with yourself. But just run. Don't think about it.

I find it useful to stop thinking of running as something different at times like this. So instead, I just think of it as something that happens at certain times of the week, like putting the bins or recycling out, shopping for food, or sorting washing. It's just a job to get out the way.

It works!

If it's any consolation, I went for a 10 mile run on Saturday and at the end, had the worst half hour of my (not that long) running life. I suspect that you're far from the only person who didn't enjoy a weekend run - race or otherwise.

And Smoke is right. Occasional races are just 'punctuation' for me. Useful goals that move my running forward, but emphatically not the whole point. The best bit about running is all the miles leading up to race day, and the psychological zone I get into during all those runs.

So don't use the weekend as your reminder of running, use all the hours of great runs instead.
posted by dowcrag at 5:53 AM on June 1, 2009

Check out the Hash House Harriers. There are groups in many cities all over the world. You meet for a group run where someone has set a course by leaving a trail of flour or something like that. They call themselves "drinkers with a running problem" as they usually end their runs at a bar or a pub or a picnic cooler filled with beer. You can go as fast or as slowly as you like. I think the runs are usually 3-4 miles. I did one run that went through the main floor of the flagship Marshall Fields store in the Chicago Loop, then through a train station, down to the lake and out on a pier. It's all about having fun. I felt like I was ten years old and running around with my friends. I've run with a few different groups in various cities and was always made to feel very welcome. Sometimes they'll ask for a couple of bucks to chip in for the beer, but that's optional on your part. You don't have to officially join the group .. you can just be a guest.
posted by Kangaroo at 6:07 AM on June 1, 2009 [1 favorite]

When you go out, take the mindset that you're going to do slightly less than you did last time--less distance, less speed. Sometimes you will "break" this rule just because you feel like it, but in the meantime it cuts through the mental obstacle of feeling like you're not measuring up to some standard (which is all made up by you anyway). Whether you do it or not is always going to be much more important than some performance standard.
posted by dixie flatline at 6:56 AM on June 1, 2009

Runner partner.

The little bit of peer pressure can get you out the door. This works for a relatively small number of people because if your running group gets too big than you aren't letting people down with your absence.
posted by mmascolino at 7:15 AM on June 1, 2009

I tend to drop off running and then pick it up again .. when I do, I tell myself if it hurts .. it only hurts for 10 minutes .. and by "hurt" I mean it feels like my body is not used to it .. I feel tired .. etc. Usually after 10 minutes, I'm in the rhythm again and it starts to feel good.
posted by duckus at 7:26 AM on June 1, 2009

Thanks for the comments - I'm not worried about normal running in hot weather as I am very sensible and run early morning and later evening and often in a shady park (heck, I'm in England, we don't even get hot weather much!) but thanks for that suggestion. A bit scared of running off the paths due to fear of tripping but will give it a go for variety. I'm not into big groups and don't drink so the Hash Harriers aren't my thing but thanks for the idea. Really, it's going to be "make myself get ready to go out and actually do SOMETHING" that's going to get me through this, so thanks to the people who have backed that up.
posted by LyzzyBee at 8:07 AM on June 1, 2009

Don't race for a while, don't put yourself in a competitive setting where you're worried about getting to the race, then worried about warming up, getting to the start line, etc. Instead go out often and just make yourself run the first couple of miles, and then see where you want to go. If it's too hot outside, obviously try running early or late in the day. Also, running with someone or a group who can push you and inspire you helps a ton, but you already knew that.

Running is one of my favorite pastimes not because of the races or anything like that, but because of the amazing feeling that you get after running many miles in challenging conditions, turning the next corner, and seeing a gorgeous valley lit up by sunset, or a downtown skyline disappearing into the mist, or a rocky trail barreling up and down a steep ridge... and the shoes of your running partner clicking down the road just ahead of you. It's exhilarating, and it never gets old. The search for those moments, and the thrill of exploring new routes, is what keeps me going.
posted by azazello at 8:37 AM on June 1, 2009

Please don't judge yourself a failure for having a difficult run in hot weather! It can be very tough to make the transition to the heat. Recently, I ran an 18k in hot weather and had to stop and walk around 20 times, I felt nauseous the whole time. I felt completely out of shape. BUT, when I went running the next weekend in cooler weather, I didn't have to stop at all and had a fanatastic run. So keep your head up and get back out there!
posted by Hutch at 9:23 AM on June 1, 2009

Do keep in mind that some runs are simply easier than others! I can run the same route and have it be a breeze one day, and on the next feel like I'm dragging a piano behind me. The best motivator seems to be keeping in mind how nice it will feel to have it done for the day.
posted by bunji at 1:25 PM on June 1, 2009