When is enough really enough? Should I quit and give up on my dream of the Olympic Trials?

You said it yourself, you still love it. One good race and I bet you love racing again, too. Give it one last good shot. No better time than now, nothing good is happening in the real world anyway. It is a good time to escape. However, maybe you should change some things up so you don't fall into the same bad habits? Hire a good coach? Trial of miles, miles of trials. Best of luck.

Stick to it, you'll have no regrets later in life. You'll never have to think about what could have been. If you give it your best shot, then you at least know it was your best shot and it took you as far as it could have.

Take a good look in the mirror . Look at the near perfect genetics of athletes that have success, then look at your physicality and lack of talent . It is OK to say, "the mountain ahead of me is to steep" and turn around and go home.

The reason that you are getting injured as you get closer to a race is simple. You need to slow down a bit. You need to do the opposite. I had the same problem. Good luck.

Agree with others. You don’t sound like someone who wants to quit. You sound like someone who needs one last shot. My recommendation. Take the pressure off yourself. If things don’t line up for you by the OTs that’s OK too. There is a lot more to life. You owe it to yourself to give it a go though. Hell, it’s less than a year away!

What event are you targeting?

You should quit.

what are your pb's in your main events?you seem to be pretty quick.

Keep on running.

Maybe it's time to change to roads and or trails and do different (longer) distances? Maybe you have a chance for the OT's there.

If you still love it, you should give it a go. Sounds like you have a good story, some talent, and can carry some underdog swagger.

I would try to find some legitimate doctors/physios if you're getting injured year after year. Depending on where you're based try to find out who the pro runners in your area go to see. Maybe there's strength or form stuff that can help you stay fit.

Seems like you have the time to chase a dream -- the Trials. Don't want to look back and say what if. I would take a shot if I could.

What is the alternative? Would you be quitting to do something more rewarding or just get fat and sad? Let’s say you live another 70 years. Best case scenario you probably have another 10 years of high level running. That gives you 60 years to do something else. I say keep at it, but try to live a balanced life. Career, family, hobbies, friends, with a bit of jogging and training in the morning. It takes the pressure off. Live like a clock. Good luck!

I was never at quite that level, but fairly close in my younger years. Out of college, I had to make a decision to pursue competitive running or join the Peace Corps and basically give up on ever reaching elite status. I chose Peace Corps because I wanted something different and rewarding and knew that the likelihood of running fast enough to make a living from it was remote. I never regretted that decision. I never stopped running, but I never ran as fast again either. If I were you I'd give it another shot, try to stay healthy for another couple of years, train hard, see what happens with the Olympics, with Covid, with everything going on in the world these days, then make a decision, with the recognition that a competitive running career will only last a few more years but a career will last a lifetime.

Not sure if you love racing anymore?

That’s not a good sign of being motivated enough.

Do you have to go to the trials to still enjoy running?

I've been struggling with something similar as well- nowhere near as talented but still d1. Injured a lot through college and never felt like I had a satisfying ending to that story.

My question to you is the result of a year-long battle with depression and specific mental issues related to running I've been working through. Personally, I kept wondering why should I keep doing this if I'm going to obsess over every little split, watt, and detail? Why do an easy run when I look for validation from my watch at the end of it, seeing if my pace was good enough to qualify as a 'good' run?

If you can still train and compete and love it no matter what the time result is, yes, continue.

I think your measure of success at some point was probably the olympic trials and I wonder if you've checked to see if that's still a goal that will bring you any more happiness or satisfaction than you already have. Why just nationals? More or less the same meet for you, just can't brag about it being the OT.

Take it one step at a time.

A few thoughts:

Do you like going out the door for a run? Sounds like you do. If so, do it.

Do you like hitting workouts/long runs etc.? If so, do it.

Sounds like you don't like racing right now, so don't do that.

Start with what works. Let's say in 3 months you get the urge to race a track 5k. If you've spend the last 3 months eating Oreo's, you're not gonna do well. If you spent the last 3 months doing easy mileage, it'll take a few weeks, but you could get some race shape back. I say go back to the basics for now. Just run to enjoy running. If you get to a point where you want to race again, you'll be in a position to do so. If not, well, you're still in pretty good shape and that's never a bad thing.

Idk who you are, but I'm rooting for you!

if it ain't slowing your career and relationship progression, keep at it. You don't really want to take up golfing this early do you?

reluctantly nike wrote:

if it ain't slowing your career and relationship progression, keep at it. You don't really want to take up golfing this early do you?

To succeed in Golf , you need to start at a very early age . Ideally , younger than 10-12 years old . Watching Adults learn to golf, they will never have the motor skills to be good . Same with tennis . I wish there was a way of making golfers that cant break 90 , to stay home and quit because they are plugging up Golf courses .

you should never ever give up!

you are in your 20s just once, man up fight for it!

Well, our sport of track and field works on a four year cycle. Hopefully this cycle culminates with the Trials and Olympics in summer of 2021. So, that's less than a year to devote yourself.

No brainer - go for it! In early fall of 2021 you will make a decision as to your desires for 2024.

You are either all in ---or all out ---for each 4 year cycle. Don't worry about not getting a full cycle in for 202 --- just complete as best you can.

you should quit...

chasing the big goal dreams and concentrate on smaller intermediate goals.

Like staying healthy, working hard/training smart, and trying to improve.

If you still enjoy the process, keep at it. You will achieve some of those smaller goals.

If it all works out your bigger goals may be achievable. If not, you enjoyed trying.