Running, it’s not you. It’s me.
Lately I haven’t had the urge to pull on my gear and head out for a run.
Since Iron Legs in early August and Lost Soul, just a few weeks back, I have had a bad case of the running “blahs.”
Ever feel that way?
Usually I cannot wait to get outside.
These days I am lucky if I can make it to a hot yoga class.
Sorry running, I am just not that into you.
Two races are left on my calendar for the rest of the year. While I haven’t said it out loud, I will probably have a DNS (did not start) by my name on the final results.
Running two big races within weeks of each other took a toll on my body and mental state. When I registered for the races, I shrugged off the possible mental burnout.
Sure I had that immediate finisher’s high. I couldn’t wait to sign up for another race.
But I’ve been running long enough now to know that high doesn’t last long. Sometimes you just lose your running groove.
And that is OK.
Post-race blues is common in most sports. Most athletes will tell you that there’s a feeling of letdown or slight depression after a race.
You ran your big race. The applause has ended.
Now what? You think.
Good question. Maybe I just need a good swift kick in the butt.
My friend Shannon suggested I drop to the 10K from the half-marathon for the Oktoberfest Run in Red Deer on Saturday.
Meh.
Fall is my absolute favourite time of year to run, but I am simply not in the mood.
Maybe it is my body telling me to put on the brakes.
For a good part of the year, I was running between 70K and 75K as I prepared for my races each week. I was completely dialed into my training. I was pretty darn proud of running 75K in a week. I know most ultra runners run much more than 75K, but it was a pretty big feat for me. I did it too without (much) injury.
Now that the dust has settled on my three races of the year (Eyeball The Wall, Iron Legs and Lost Soul), maybe it is a good time to hit reset. I won’t lose much sleep over skipping the two races.
I know this too will pass.
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