Currently don't have the passion to run - Will taking 1-2 years completely off force me to start from scratch?

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Sorry. I want to make it clear - My poor experience as a graduate assistant played a big part in me losing my passion for running. I truly feel like I wasted many weekends watching poor performance after poor performance and was never really able to provide my insight on training and competition as it was a "what I say goes" attitude from my head coach.

Dear Former OCD Runner,

I think you underestimate the durability of your base. I promise you that all those miles you put in as a D1 runner did not disappear. You'll be surprised at how much fitness you'll have preserved, even after two months off. I had to take a few months off earlier this year because of injury. I gained quite some weight during this time off, due to depression and an eating disorder. I was shocked to find that on my first day back, I was still able to do a 7 mile run at 6:30 a mile (a bit slower than my typical LSD pace). Within weeks, I was back into great shape, perhaps set back a few months from my pre-injury peak. You will be fine, Former OCD Runner. Allow me to suggest something -- when you start off running again, take it easy for a couple weeks. Don't use a watch, don't worry about long-term fitness, just enjoy yourself and be grateful for every mile you can run. Soon enough, you'll be feeling antsy to push yourself to the limit and destroy the competition, just like the good ol' days. Then you can come back here and create a solid training plan to get yourself back into 14 minute 5k shape.

Thank you for the response. That's great to hear!

Former OCD Runner wrote:

Thank you for the response. That's great to hear!

I concur with the previous poster wrt your acquired base and training.

Also, in the meantime, you may want to look into crossfit if you haven't already - it's a fad, yes, completely; and in its extreme, is a caricature of itself, but it does have a competitive element to it and that may tap into that element of running that you find missing w/ weight training.

Don't worry about losing fitness. Maybe you get back into running, maybe you don't. It doesn't have to be all or nothing.

You can still run without 100 mile weeks or 14:30 5k's. Even if you lose all your fitness it can still be fun to start over. You start out of shape then in a matter of weeks see improvement, it snowballs from there.

Enjoy taking time off, enjoy less laundry and less showers. I stopped running seriously years ago. I go for a hobby jog here and there. Hop in a turkey trot just to see what I can do without training.

Being out of shape also gives you a new appreciation for the all the running and racing you've done.

Would it absolutely kill you to do an easy run twice a week? Sheesh, all you all-or-nothing dweebs need to get a little perspective. Running can be a healthy form of exercise, t doesn't have to be a profession.

You wouldn't be starting from scratch, but you also will not have the motivation to get back to 100 mpw or 14/30 minute shape at that point either. More likely you will get back into 16-17 minute shape fairly easily but get frustrated and never stick with it consistently.

An Econ Major wrote:

I was still able to do a 7 mile run at 6:30 a mile (a bit slower than my typical LSD pace).

6:30 is long slow distance pace? Give me a break, troll.

Can I take a different tact? Ok, thanks...

Just because you ran into a coach that you did not see eye to eye with does not mean you should give up on being a coach. Coaching is a tough business. College coaching sounds like a real PITA: recruiting, dealing with the AD, NCAA issues, academic issues, college kids in general.

I believe in the balloon theory of fitness and I have observed it in myself when I have had to take breaks of up to 6 months with injuries. Think about blowing up a balloon the first time and the amount of force it takes to accomplish this. Now let out all of the air and try to blow up the balloon a second time. It is significantly easier the second time to blow up the balloon to approximately the same size as the first time. However, to blow up the balloon bigger than you did the first time will again require a greater force.

I have noticed this with running / fitness. Even after extended breaks (6 months to a year) due to injury I can often get myself into decent shape with a few months of solid work. However, to achieve new levels of fitness (get in better shape than I was previously) will require a prolonged period of hard work / efficient training.

In my case I ran a half in 70 minutes in early 2013. Then I missed from Summer of 2013 to March of 2014 with an injury and some family issues that prevented me from training hard. I started training lightly in March and by October 2014 I was able to run 31:59 in the 10k and low 2:30's in the marathon (comparable to what I was running in early 2013, but I had taken off 7 months entirely and had barley run for another few months). You are on a slightly higher level than me but you would have no problem returning to running after a year off.

My decision regarding a career in coaching isn't all related to the experience I had as a graduate assistant. That played a big role in my decision, and I do wonder if I would still be looking for a job as a coach if I had a more positive experience. With that being said, injury + years of revolving my life around/putting all of my energy into the sport of running has just lead me to become completely burnt out and I really just want to step away from the sport for awhile.

Former OCD Runner wrote:

Basically what I'm asking is - if I take a year or two completely off from running, will I have to start from scratch if I eventually find the love and passion for it again and the desire to get back to training and racing? I read stories all the time where people step away from the sport for awhile and then come back and are competitive.

!

you will have to start from scratch, yes. You will be out of breath and hurting running 7:30 pace, and you will be amazed that people can run a sub 6 minute mile.

But will you want to train again after a couple years away? No way to know. everyone is different. But the best thing you could do is stay active - try sports you've always wanted to do, and see how your heart tugs when you see a race go by. Maybe you will be desperately sad that you are not racing...or maybe you'll say there but for the grace of god go I.

but let's say you come back and train hard and stay healthy and hungry...you can get back to near PR times all through your 20s and 30s.

Honestly going for an easy run twice a week is how I could see myself eventually falling in love with running again and regaining the passion and the desire to do it. However, right now I just have no desire to go for a run. It's not even on my mind when I wake up in the morning. In a way it's kind of nice to not have to revolve my day around getting in a run like I did for so many years. Even on days where I don't have anything to do I still don't have any desire to step out the door and begin running.

I haven't completely turned into a sedentary blob. Like I said in my OP, I am weight lifting and trying to put on some muscle mass. Personally, I prefer not to weigh 130 pounds and be completely weak unless I'm training and running at a high level. I figured if I'm not going to run anymore, then why look so skinny?

Sometimes I do think PR's are still obtainable if I can overcome the injury I've been dealing with as well as find the passion again. It may sound crazy, but at the end of my senior year I ran 4:50 pace for 10K. I thought to myself "Wow, I really only began running consistently high mileage this year and I PR'd by over a minute in the 10K. If I can run 4:50 pace for 6.2 miles, then maybe with a few years of consistent training and continued progression, I could run 5:00 pace for 13.1 miles and possibly have a shot at the Olympic Trials Marathon"

Obviously that dream has fallen by the wayside for now. But I do wonder if it would be possible to see myself competing in the Olympic Trials Marathon in eight years, at age 33, after having taken a few years off in my mid-twenties.

A lot of good replies already. Enjoy your break. Forget about running. Find other things in life you enjoy. If you feel like training again, you'll be refreshed and can build on your previous experience. It will still be there for you. Neurologically, physiologically, and psychologically, you're body and mind will remember what it you conditioned it do while training before. Don't worry about it. It will all resurface if you want it to.

I'd say 4-5 years leads to starting from scratch. Obviously it'll take a (very variable) while to get back to a decent level, and longer (if ever) to back to peak fitness, but after a year or two off you want have too much trouble coming back.

If you just run 30 minutes easy 3 times a week and take really good care of yourself you will not lose nearly as much fitness as you would think. It's a bit of a paradox. If you eat like crap, get drunk 3 nights a week, smoke, and don't sleep enough your base will evaporate pretty quickly. If you are somewhat active and take good care of yourself you won't lose that much fitness all that fast and if you decide to get back into in a year or two you will be able to get back into form in a few months to a year depending on your genetics.

Thanks everyone. The general consensus seems like it's OK to take some time off from the sport. I think I'll find my way back into it down the road but right now I'm happy with not running.

I should note that the injury I deal with is particularly hard to overcome but I know people who've gotten past it, I think.

i basically didnt run from freshman year of college to when i was 26 (~7 years) and while i was definitely in horrible horrible shape for a while, i think i got fit much much faster than a normal person would