I always hear this advice of "listen to your body" and take rest days when you need it but if I actually took this advice, I would just never run. When I run after work, I always feel something. The first 10 minutes of every run is basically just determining whether that feeling will plateau or get worse. So why do people say this? Running does not feel good!
I always hear this advice of "listen to your body" and take rest days when you need it but if I actually took this advice, I would just never run. When I run after work, I always feel something. The first 10 minutes of every run is basically just determining whether that feeling will plateau or get worse. So why do people say this? Running does not feel good!
You've misunderstood the point of that saying entirely.
Listening to someone doesn't mean that you just always follow everything they're saying without any deliberation of your own... it means you take what they're saying into account.
Just like you have to negotiate and balance several different things in terms of intensity vs volume, running is a continuous negotation and balance between your mind and body.
Sometimes you have to push through the fatigue and mind signals telling you to slow down or stop (like during workouts, races). Sometimes you should listen and back off otherwise you'll get injured. It's up to -you- to fine tune and find that knife's edge balance and strike the sweetspot.
Listen to my body? If I was listening to my body right now I would be home in bed eating a danish and reading the funnies. (overheard at the 1991 San Antonio Marathon, The Quotable Runner)
I always hear this advice of "listen to your body" and take rest days when you need it but if I actually took this advice, I would just never run. When I run after work, I always feel something. The first 10 minutes of every run is basically just determining whether that feeling will plateau or get worse. So why do people say this? Running does not feel good!
Yes, running for the most part does not intrinsically bring pleasure in the way an orgasm, delicious food, children, pets, love, family, a good conversation, book, movie, play and any number of other things might to most people. There might be times when given an option, you might still pick an easy jog (just like you might a walk) on a nice route over any of those other things, but training day in and out is fundamentally much more chore than pleasure, though a more pleasurable chore than actual mundane chores.
Interesting. I often get the runner's high. It eases my anxiety.
I'm probably addicted to the dopamine more than most. It is hard to listen to my body. I ignored some hip pain, ran five miles yesterday, and today my knee is bothering me.
A good runner has excellent and consistent restraint, which is something I lack.
You've misunderstood the point of that saying entirely.
Listening to someone doesn't mean that you just always follow everything they're saying without any deliberation of your own... it means you take what they're saying into account.
Just like you have to negotiate and balance several different things in terms of intensity vs volume, running is a continuous negotation and balance between your mind and body.
Sometimes you have to push through the fatigue and mind signals telling you to slow down or stop (like during workouts, races). Sometimes you should listen and back off otherwise you'll get injured. It's up to -you- to fine tune and find that knife's edge balance and strike the sweetspot.
This is definitely how I felt back in the day when I was more competitive. But back then people weren't giving me that advice as much. I hear it a lot now in regards to taking rest days or giving a run a "10 minute test" before calling it but the problem is, at this point in my running, both of those would just turn into a lot of goose eggs on my training calendar. Also hear this a lot to slowing down my runs but then that just makes the suffering last longer! My body wants to be done quicker, dammit! What's the real difference between 7:30 pace, 8:00 pace, or 9:00 pace it hurts all the same just one gets it over with!
This is definitely how I felt back in the day when I was more competitive. But back then people weren't giving me that advice as much. I hear it a lot now in regards to taking rest days or giving a run a "10 minute test" before calling it but the problem is, at this point in my running, both of those would just turn into a lot of goose eggs on my training calendar. Also hear this a lot to slowing down my runs but then that just makes the suffering last longer! My body wants to be done quicker, dammit! What's the real difference between 7:30 pace, 8:00 pace, or 9:00 pace it hurts all the same just one gets it over with!
If all your runs are suffering, you should find a new activity.
I always hear this advice of "listen to your body" and take rest days when you need it but if I actually took this advice, I would just never run. When I run after work, I always feel something. The first 10 minutes of every run is basically just determining whether that feeling will plateau or get worse. So why do people say this? Running does not feel good!
The advice to "listen to your body" from fitness influencers and pts and doctors who have never so much as ran a 5k fun run is far different than "listen to your body" coming from people chasing success in running.
Following the advice from the aforementioned will get you nowhere. I'd say knowing your limits on the day is pretty important. I don't know how many times I've seen seasons or race build-ups ruined when the athlete sends it too hard inside a tough training block... As a coach, you begin to become superstitious about these things.
I always hear this advice of "listen to your body" and take rest days when you need it but if I actually took this advice, I would just never run. When I run after work, I always feel something. The first 10 minutes of every run is basically just determining whether that feeling will plateau or get worse. So why do people say this? Running does not feel good!
People are generally overtraining. They run too much for their fitness and way too fast. This is why most hobby joggers plateaux. They simply run too hard too often and never truly absorb the training.
Also, most people how a low ceiling for improvement. High mileage and multiple workouts will, over time, grind the majority of people in to the ground.
I always hear this advice of "listen to your body" and take rest days when you need it but if I actually took this advice, I would just never run. When I run after work, I always feel something. The first 10 minutes of every run is basically just determining whether that feeling will plateau or get worse. So why do people say this? Running does not feel good!
As the great Robert Flagler of Norman, OK used to say when people asked him if he ever had "runner's high"...
"I've never had a runner's high before... but I've had "stopper's high" after some of my races".
I always hear this advice of "listen to your body" and take rest days when you need it but if I actually took this advice, I would just never run. When I run after work, I always feel something. The first 10 minutes of every run is basically just determining whether that feeling will plateau or get worse. So why do people say this? Running does not feel good!
As the great Robert Flagler of Norman, OK used to say when people asked him if he ever had "runner's high"...
"I've never had a runner's high before... but I've had "stopper's high" after some of my races".
I always hear this advice of "listen to your body" and take rest days when you need it but if I actually took this advice, I would just never run. When I run after work, I always feel something. The first 10 minutes of every run is basically just determining whether that feeling will plateau or get worse. So why do people say this? Running does not feel good!
I always hear this advice of "listen to your body" and take rest days when you need it but if I actually took this advice, I would just never run. When I run after work, I always feel something. The first 10 minutes of every run is basically just determining whether that feeling will plateau or get worse. So why do people say this? Running does not feel good!
You're doing it wrong.
This is true but I swear I've tried everything to keep running. I've run slow, I've run fast, I've taken days off. Inevitably most days I get home after work and just think "f*ck I have to run now!" It's become like taking medicine. I guess this is just the life of a working runner once they age out of being on team and start to lose the youthful fitness...
I think you have the concept all bassakwards. You need to listen to the 'below the neck' part of your body and NOT the 'above the neck' part. You're letting one corrupt the other.
This is true but I swear I've tried everything to keep running. I've run slow, I've run fast, I've taken days off. Inevitably most days I get home after work and just think "f*ck I have to run now!" It's become like taking medicine. I guess this is just the life of a working runner once they age out of being on team and start to lose the youthful fitness...
Just quit. Seriously. Take up other hobbies. You will be happier. I run 3 times a week and even that sometimes feels like a chore.