Work Stress Causing Me to Run Less

Quit your job and just live off the land.

I don’t know but I’m in the same boat as you.

I run and workout in the am. I could never run in the evening after work I’m way too tired. So I get up at 430-5 to get my run in. I’m save my long run for Sunday.

Sometimes you just can’t run. Work will get in the way. So will stress. Believe me I hardly ran when I lost my mom, job, and much more one year. It’s ok. It will happen. When you are going through a stressful period don’t try to push yourself. It will just do more harm and your are way more likely to injure or get sick. Just go with the flow.

I definitely hear you.

My work situation if very different, but that said, when i just can't muster a run after work, i can just about always find it within myself to jump on the bike on a trainer, indoor, even if it's fairly close to my bed time. Not a run, but it's better than nothing.

Follow the ten minute rule.

Just get out there.

If after ten minutes you still don't have the energy, you can go home.

More likely you start to feel refreshed, enjoy the run and feel the benefits.

the below is my answer as well. i run sales (among other things) at my company. we are public and have issued profit warnings the past 2 reports. the stress has been incredible. it definitely destroys my energy. ruins my workouts. but i've found that if i DO NOT get out, there is no relief whatsoever. what is the alternative? sitting on the couch watching tv? going to bed? not sure if you're the type that struggles to sleep when stressed, but that certainly doesn't work for me. i get out for a run whether i feel it or not... and more often that not, as noted below, the runs starts to eat away at the stress.... my mind starts processing things instead of just spinning. then i get home, feeling a bit better; my body more tuned for sleep. i then read for a couple hours then hopefully fall asleep. in short, get out there and run no matter what. don't try to hit splits, just get out there and burn through it.

Uhhh wrote:

Follow the ten minute rule.

Just get out there.

If after ten minutes you still don't have the energy, you can go home.

More likely you start to feel refreshed, enjoy the run and feel the benefits.

Someone tell you life is easy ??

You wanna run- RUN !!!

Uhhh wrote:

Follow the ten minute rule.

Just get out there.

If after ten minutes you still don't have the energy, you can go home.

More likely you start to feel refreshed, enjoy the run and feel the benefits.

I like this rule.

I hit a rough patch from the end of June through the end of July where I hardly ran and had no desire to run at all due to work. I even considered giving up training altogether bc I was so down. Then I forced myself out the door for about a week, and I discovered how much I missed running and how much better I felt when running vs. not running.

Sometimes the hardest thing about running is just getting out the door. Force yourself out there a couple times and see if that helps.

It was amazing over many, many years how some of my best runs occurred after barely having the energy to complete the commute. Mental/emotional fatigue can fool you into thinking that you are physically tired and the two are often not the same.

I run to burn the stress off. If you can find a group to run with that can get you going. Maybe just one or two others. Company helps.

I generally agree with the other posters, but will also caution that it is easier to overtrain when stressed. Sometimes when you have a high mileage high intensity couple of weeks scheduled coupled with life stresses, you have to back off some. That's life. I've been there, thinking I can power through it all, then I've found myself laying in bed for a couple of hours when I should be sleeping, with an elevated heart rate, stressing out over work issues, home issues, and then on top of that trying to not think about the hard workout planned for the morning.... It adds up,

Having a job in general is challenging for training. When work is hard for me I just adjust my week and workouts and try to fit them in at "better" times. If your concerned about mileage, just write minutes, if your concerned about that, just make it a goal to get 6 of 7 days in. Adjust adjust adjust. This is what even the best guys do who have to work and train...unlike these "pro runners" who work a couple of hours here and there and let their life revolve around training.

Can you run-commute? this has helped training partners find time to fit in hard training while having no time in general for anything else. Another idea is try to leave work at work. This can be tough but I typically just leave everything I'm doing on my desk when it's time for me to leave and then focus on the next task which is running.

Runnergrl wrote:

I run and workout in the am. I could never run in the evening after work I’m way too tired. So I get up at 430-5 to get my run in. I’m save my long run for Sunday.

Sometimes you just can’t run. Work will get in the way. So will stress. Believe me I hardly ran when I lost my mom, job, and much more one year. It’s ok. It will happen. When you are going through a stressful period don’t try to push yourself. It will just do more harm and your are way more likely to injure or get sick. Just go with the flow.

Thank you all for responding. I experimented with both running in the AM and during lunch. While not ideal it definitely gets me out the door, per yall's advice.

You guys and gals are awesome.

Peace.

Work is the number one destroyer of proper training.

Serious answer "sack up. "

I do over a hundred a week getting up at 4:30 to run and then again after work. I work 50+ plus a week M-F. I also have huge responsibility at my firm. If you want it just get it done. If you don't step away from work to do what you love how will you ever relieve the work stress?

^This. I've had a job with no set schedule for the past 6 years...I've totally given up on following any sort of set "Running Schedule" and now just set a weekly mileage goal of 40 miles a week. Sometimes, my day ends up lasting 16 hours, and I have no perceived energy for a run, but I get out the door and start on my minimum 4 mile distance, and just let the run do the rest. Some days I feel great and it turns into a tempo run or even a workout. Some days I still feel like garbage, slog through the 4 miles, feel utterly roasted at the end, and still feel better than I did if I did not run. Cheapest form of therapy out there.