Serious responses only: about to dive off the deep end. Will I regret it?

Congratulations, you are about to learn there is more to life than running. Go out, climb mountains, bike, lift weights, fish, kayak, explore, throw in some trail runs, etc.. Don't stress about running, but stay active and fit. I ran D1, spent some time doing road races, trail races and triathlons. Then I got married, had kids and drifted away from it. I'm still active and still follow the sport, but the competitive days are over. I might get back into now that the kids need less time, but then again I might fish more, paddle more and hike more. Competition is great when you are young. When you are older your priorities change.

Thanks for all the heartfelt responses. I agree that it’s time to move on if it’s not fulfilling anymore. But I realize that I might be able to scale back the running to a point where the marginal benefit outweighs the marginal cost.

See all the responses here, lot of them good? Everyone else over 25 has been here too.

Welcome to adulthood.

You say that you're going to take two weeks off like you've never taken two weeks off or at least haven't in a super long time. Is that the case?

I don't have much to say except that lifting, soccer, climbing, hiking, and skiing have been nice for me. My running is crap, but I don't care.

Sad Ex-College Runner wrote:

...I will just use weight lifting and yoga to stay in shape.

Whatever you do, you should keep doing a reasonable amount of cardio.

Have you ever come back from a run and regretted it?

If you decide to go the the gym to keep fit you've got no goal and it's hard to keep at it. Plus you have to drive their drive back. It takes twice as long as going for a run.

Unless you are doing doubles I'd run in the evening or lunch time. Who really wants to set their alarm early. If you are doing doubles try just doing singles for a while

Take a break consider racing different distances. On year I got bored long runs during week even 5 or 6 miles. I switched to shorter faster 3 miles run. Kept long run at weekend and Interval session during week. Despite logically it being rubbish training I had one of my best ever seasons

I was in the same boat as you except I was still in college. First year college I suffered burnout and experience poor results. We had a coaching change and I was just sick of running plus all the politics so I decided to take 6 months off. I was always training around 90-100km per week but sucked (I don't have much natural talent). At the time I quit my prs were 2:00,4;15 for 1500m, 9:10 for 3km (only time running under 9:30) 16:32 for 5km and 34:04 for 10km xc. During this time off I put on the pounds, went from 5'10 155(still chunky for my build) to 170. Come January of last year I was sick of being a slob so I began running again, coaching myself. I upped my mileage to around 130-150km per week and just held it there. I didn't take down weeks or many days off I just wanted to test my limits and using the experimentation of self coaching honestly helped get that fire back. Long story short, just 5months after leaving the sport for 6months and getting fat, dropped my 1500m down to 4:08, 3km down to 8:59 5km down to 16:00 and went 33:12 for 10km xc. I now have started running 100-110 mpw and am shooting for a sub 2:30 marathon. Moral of the story, if your sick of running just quit. Take your time to explore other passions and only then will you see if you truly love running or if it's time to move on.

Great thread. I can relate to many of the sentiments expressed.

I'm in my late 30s, and I've been batting around the idea of hanging up my spikes for a few months now. I have a very balanced life with ample time to train. But I am starting to struggle to hit times that used to be easy for me. For me, running fills the competitive and fitness components of my identity, and my biggest hurdle when I think about quitting is finding an activity that fulfills these components with the simplicity that running does.

I don't have a desire to mix things up and do one activity twice a week and another activity three times a week, etc. I love having one activity that keeps me competitive, thin, and sane, but also costs so little and can be done almost anywhere.

I ended up getting a hairline fracture in my foot which didn't heal properly, so I cannot train seriously without a light nagging pain in my foot. What I did is I started replacing some of my running with other activities, it started with basketball, then switched to rock climbing and martial arts. Then it switched to weightlifting and basketball, then volleyball. Now I do crossfit, tennis and volleyball. Two years after I quit training I could still go out and run 10 miles or so and it would be fun. So you should be able to easily come back to running if you miss it.

I would also suggest staying away from crossfit. Crossfit is frequently the football coach coming up with track workouts of weightlifting. Most of their workouts make you feel like you worked hard in the gym but aren't great for actually getting stronger. But I supplement their workouts with what learned when I took up weightlifting and the social aspect is very good for me.

I was in your shoes a few years ago. I'm 26 now and after graduating from college I was SPENT. I had no more energy or love for the sport. Quite frankly, I was not even sure who I was running for. It is easy to get lost in the motivation and desire to run for a team, so when you are left without one it is really hard.

From around age 22 to when I turned 26, I still ran, but not that seriously, I would go through spurts of motivation but nothing ever stuck. I was still fit enough because I was running about 20-25 minutes 3-5 days a week but my pace was VERY slow. I picked up rock climbing, hiking, learned about who I was without running, and how to have a more healthy relationship with it. I finally started to face parts of myself that I was ignorning and trying to run from.

I think I am a better person because I took a step away from the competetive side of the sport.

Then about 5 months ago it hit me it that sweet, soul, and spiritual space, that I wanted to race again- quite frankly I had recovered emotionally and phyiscally from pouring my whole self into the sport. I stared doing workouts again, training with an intention, lifting, all of it.

But now I am more grounded, I take 1 day off a week and cross train and do yoga on another day. I listen to my body, I celebrate the feeling of pushing myself to be the best version of myself. The break was NEEDED.

Man, you are taking this (and yourself) waaaaaaaay too seriously. Run, don't run, do whatever you want to do. Does it really matter? If you stop for two days, two weeks, or even two years and later decide you want to start again, there is literally nothing stopping you.

I'm past 50 so this advice might be coming too soon for you. I ran in college w/ moderate success and always thought that I'd be a late bloomer and excel at the marathon later in life. I turned to triathlons and things looked promising but medical school and mild arthritis kept me from continuing that. I ran as much as I had time for or that I thought I could get away with without pain afterwards.

Around 40 I read "Ultramarathon Man" and it spoke to me because I always loved running but had moved away from it, not due to hatred of a coach or bad experience, but just because my life had changed. I said to myself, "If this guy can do it, so can I." I cautiously started running more and found that it probably had a positive effect on my arthritic condition. I definitely felt better mentally because running was always like therapy (anti-depressive, for sure). I built up to where I qualified for Boston but didn't get to run it.

At this point in my life I tell people that I'm a retired triathlete and semi-retired marathoner but I love the variety of triathlon training. I run three mornings a week and hope to continue for years into the future. I now know that exercise is the ONLY thing that has been proven to impact your healthspan--your years of healthy living. I'm training now for retirement and the rest of my life. Financial advisors warn that working yourself to death so that you can retire comfortably is not good when you're not healthy enough to go out and do anything. Bottom line: exercise is mental and physical therapy, do what you love, keep moving, and if you act old you will get old.

Sad Ex-College Runner wrote:

I'm considering taking two weeks completely off after my next race, then contemplating whether or not I want to go running again

Considering 2 weeks? Try 2 months... 2-years if you're still not into it.

You'll find other hobbies... or you wont and you'll enjoy training hard again.

Lots of former college teammates of mine, including me, have taken extended breaks and gotten nice and fat. Some came back to run ultras, tris, marathons, or back to competitive 5k's. But, lots have found plenty of other fulfilling hobbies. Nothing wrong with that.

The only thing wrong is to reluctantly keep running because you can't imagine anything else filling your time.

You will regret it if you find your life meaning/worth as a runner. If you plan on quitting, find another hobby/career/something to define yourself, something you are proud of and good at. I was a 14:40's collegiate runner, but now I lift weights and jog a mile or two every now and then and focus on my career. Much healthier and don't regret my decision to quit whatsoever.

I used to run in college and post-collegiately and went through a lot of what you are going through.... rather than rationally take time off I just let it deteriorate more and more until I did not undertake any athletics for a few years...

I eventually got involved in new sports later (I'm 31) and have gained a very fresh perspective that i wish i had as post collegiate runner.

Take the break! do yoga and lift weights. try another sport to break it up and challenge yourself in different way.

You will either come back a much better runner or realize you are happier pursuing different outlets...

there is no downside at all...

good luck.

A lot of times when you're so deep in it you feel like there is no life or identity outside of the track and its just not true... good luck

OP, I struggled making a similar choice and chose to keep running. Improved, get faster, plateaued, came to the same struggle, decided to hang em up after the second time. I lift, do yoga, hike on weekends, and commute to work via bike. I love it, and regret continuing to run as long as I did even though I PR’ed at pretty much every distance.

You need a new challenge. Things that worked for me:

- lifting

- swimming

- walking/hiking with an 80lb weight vest on

- cross country skiing (my new fave)

Some people enjoy biking. I say continue to utilize your aerobic tank and don't let go because if you're like me the weight will just pile on. For point of reference: In HS I was a waist size 29, in college 30-31. Last year I was busting a 40. Now I am about a 32 again and it took a lot of hard work to get there. So don't let go, find a new challenge.

skinny then fat now skinny again wrote:

- walking/hiking with an 80lb weight vest on

As a person who climbs mountains, that is a ridiculous amount of weight if true.