I used to have such dreams consistently when I ran competitively. Still love running, but never dream about it anymore - which is fine, because all my dreams were variations on the classic nightmare where I’m winning then suddenly it’s like I’m running in water and everyone is blowing past me.
I have two versions of running dreams, neither that regularly. Maybe once a month at best. One version I can't run fast at all the the race gets away from me. The other version is I'm somehow using an extra year of college eligibility that I'm pretty positive I shouldn't have, and I'm worried about getting in trouble.
That's funny, dude. When I have my back-to-school dreams, my old age creeps in and makes me feel out of place.
A recurring dream I have is being late to a race, but no problem, I just climbed down a concrete wall that was covered with cargo netting. OK. Put my shoes on ... check! But I can't get my effing sweatpants off, then the gun goes off, and my sweatpants are stuck below my knees! The track turns out to be a figure-8, like a demolition derby.
Not too often but I had one vivid enough as a teen that I still remember it. I was running from someone and got clubbed in the head and saw stars and then I woke up.
I had a dream like that recently. I was running on an mostly empty multilane highway, it was going slightly downhill and in front of me there were several runners, but they were all running somewhat slowly and blocking the road. Also, some of them were wearing business suits or something like that, not really dressed for running. So that was annoying, but I found a way to pass them, and then I passed a few more regular runners and suddenly the road was completely clear. No one in sight. I was so happy, I felt great and I started really going. In my dream it felt like I was leading a race, or something like that, but the main thing was that feeling of being strong and going fast. I woke up super happy and even now I am smiling just remembering that feeling
I have a recurrent dream where I'm running a race, but I'm not able to make any forward progress despite running as hard as I can. I basically feel like I'm running in quicksand and I can see the finish line in front of me, but I'm not getting any closer to it as I try to run at a faster and faster pace. I end up grabbing the cord on the finish line chute and trying to drag myself to the line without any success.
That's my only running dream.
The only running dreams I remember were similar to this- trying as hard as possible but going nowhere, like running in place or with very slow forward progress.
I had those types of dreams infrequently, perhaps only 5 times, and years ago when I was younger and faster.
But now I am old and slow, and do not have those running dreams anymore.
Now when I run in real life, I try very hard but it's like I am running in place or with very slow forward progress.
Whenever I dream where I am running, I feel really good and I am moving swiftly and effortlessly. It is an awesome feeling. (Very similar to dreams where I am flying.)
Conversely, I sometimes dream that I am running and feeling horrible, with heavy legs. But then I realize it isn't a dream!
But seriously, the other night I was dreaming that I was in a cross-country race. I was feeling really good and about to take the lead, then boom... I literally fell out of bed with a loud thud that woke up my wife. I hurt my knee, a finger, and a toe. Such a weird way and places to get injured.
I don't know. Maybe it was a demon yanking me out of bed by my toe!
I am 43 years old I still have dreams in which I am running. My good dreams often consist of winning the WSOP Main Event, and my running dreams are mixed. I had one in which it was in Vegas dominating the main and I had to race 10 other players for seat draws.
I never dream I am running. It sound nice though. For some reason, most of my lucid dreams involve me being back at school and stressed out for some reason I can't quite put my finger on in a dream state.
I was a walk on for Cross Country. I did OK, but of course we did not have a very strong team. We had one guy who was a super star in high school, but the rest of us were just solid varsity runners. However, track was a nightmare for me. The work outs were brutal. There were guys with quarter miler speed. I couldn't keep up in our track interval work outs. It was humiliating. The coach didn't have to kick me off the team. I voluntarily quit and decided to relegate myself to intramural competition.
Nowadays at age 66 I seldom remember my dreams, but when younger in my 20s it was not unusual I remembered my dreams and won races in them . Luckily I won races in real life too ))🇸🇪🧙♂️🇸🇪