i feel like i'm losing my love of running.

find your lazy ass a training partner and stop making excuses for yourself. no one is forcing you to run. if you don't like it, quit. otherwise, stop bitching and get out there and go for a run.

nice, helpful response for her.

i think most runners go through such lulls, i certainly did. and it is especially difficult when they coincide with injuries.

i can't really offer much in the way of advice regarding how to get it back. depending on your level of competitiveness in college and how it might affect your goals this fall, it might be worth your time to take a week or two completely off from running. that might get you more excited about running again. i know that for me, one of the worst things about being a competitive runner was feeling like i had to run every day, no matter what. without that requirement/guilt, running is more fun for me. maybe letting yourself have a few days off will give you the feeling of being released from obligation which might allow you to start running again from desire rather than obligation.

my last piece of advice is that it probably is actually good advice to suggest that you find a training partner. they can do wonders on days when you have difficulty getting out the door.

I think we're going to need some pics to fully analyze the situation.

I had about the same thing happen to me. I wasnt training to my limits like i know i could. This basically started freshman year in college, i'm now going into my junior year. Freshman year was horrible, some bad times and just going through the motions. At the end of indoors soph year i got hurt and ended up taking 3-4 months off and now i'm back to how i used to be. Wanting to run everyday. Now i find it hard to figure out when i'm going to take a day off. A longer break from it may be good for you.

kaitainen wrote:

nice, helpful response for her...my last piece of advice is that it probably is actually good advice to suggest that you find a training partner.

actually, that was my advice which you so quickly brought down in a line of sarcasm. hypocrite.

Here are five tips to help get you out of this down time.

1) Have either your parents or a friend drop you off, at the amount of miles you need to run for the day, away from your house so that you feel you are forced to either run or walk.

2) If you are hot find a male running friend to have as a training partner. Tell him that you need him to run with you everyday and for him to make sure that you do. Like I said before if your hot he will run with you no matter how slow you are or how good he maybe. He will make you run with him because simply, you are hot.

3) If #2 does not apply then find either an old high school teammate or a runner that is currently at the school and plan to run with them everyday again no matter how slow you or they maybe. Junk miles are better than no miles at least you are running.

4) Try a session of fast speed work. A lot of times you may feel you are doing nothing by just running miles all the time so if you go out there and rip some 200's and 400's you may feel like you have accomplished something. Do this like 2 times a week for two weeks and it should help.

5) If none of the steps above work then I would suggest contacting your coach and either stay on the team and tell him to give up the money you are getting from the school or just quit completely and become a tri-athlete.

Well good luck hope this helps.

Buffet Line wrote:

kaitainen wrote:

nice, helpful response for her...my last piece of advice is that it probably is actually good advice to suggest that you find a training partner.

actually, that was my advice which you so quickly brought down in a line of sarcasm. hypocrite.

i thought i had adequately referenced the fact that i was giving you credit by saying "it probably is actually good advice" before also recommending that she find a training partner.

my other comment related to you saying things like "find your lazy ass," "stop making excuses for yourself," "if you don't like it quit," and "stop bitching." i didn't think it was necessary to so quickly denigrate someone who appears to be genuinely looking for advice.

Please let me offer my 3 sents to the hopefully resolution of your, not uncommon, dilema. Not knowing your training history or intensity level makes it somewhat of a challenge; but based on similar experiences I would guess that you are in the zone of the over trained...and you need a rest. It will not hurt your conditioning to stop running altogether for 2 weeks, (4 unless you have a cross country season coming up), and cross train as you are for this duration four times a week. Let your mind and body rejuvenate. Eat healthier than you are, (even if you are a finatic about nutrition...step it up), and rest lots. When you return to running, forget about the cross training, except for flexibility exercises, and just run. The other thing I would recommend is reading two books...even if you've read them already. Read "Once a Runner" by John Parker...and Gerry Lindgren's recently published book. I have read "Once" more then twice and it always inspires me; many beieve it is one of the best books ever written about running...it is fiction mixed with fact. I just finished Lindgren's book and it is ineffably inspirational and will get you out the door running with new ideas.

Good luck to you.

Q

the suggestion to read running books is a very good one in my mind. even in my out-of-shape state, when i pick up once a runner i want to get out there and run/race.

Well for awhile I was injured (actually over a span of two years) with three stress fractures and then tendonitis. I was VERY close to giving up on running but I am incredibly glad that I stuck with it. It takes awhile to get the fire back, but once you have it you'll be more in love with running than ever before. There's just something about being injured that makes you want to give up. So if you want to go the easy way out than give up...but if you want to prove something than stick with it. The first time you toe the line again and get the feeling of competing against other people is amazing...it's like being reborn into the running world.

I am in almost the exact same position right now, except I've been running less then you. I just don't want to do it. I'm not looking forward to running, or even racing, and I used to be totally Obcessed with it. It's all happened this summer also. At nationals, I was reading results, and wanting so bad to get where those runners were in my event, and mapping out my plan. Injury kept me from running, and now I just don't desire it. I get on here and read results from a race, but have no desire to achieve such results. I'm sure if I started back up, I would catch fire again, but the way it is now, I dread starting back up. So we'll see what happens. Let us know what you do.

I have felt this way before when I was exactly at the same point in life. The summer before my sophomore year in college I burned myself out by running too much mileage, not eating enough, and not resting enough. It took me a year to recover my enjoyment of running. I thought that I would never look forward to running again. Thankfully, that has changed with time and rest. I recommend taking a break. Be careful with yourself.

sometimes you need a break, try biking and xtraining

set ur self short term goals.get into more races and use them as training.the person that wrote a negative esponse earlier did actually write 1 productive piece,GET URSELF A TRAINING PARTNER.

tak it easy and dont hammer runs and enjoy them and in 5-6 months u will be back running better than ever hopefully.

Thanks guys. You're great. Seriously.

I am using some of the advice here and started with picking up a book. I haven't read OAR in over 2 years but DAMN does it bring back the desire to be so dedicated.

I was out the door @ 8am for a 45 minute run this morning and realized this is what I do - running is an emotional sport and slumps are part of being a runner.

Sometimes I just need a reminder that feeling like this is totally normal and that my career isn't over.

You guys...even the mean ones [I used to be like you] make me realize how much I love running and runners in general.

Thanks!

=)

I wish all the world's problems could be solved so easily.

Another happy ending, courtesy of LR.com

Luke, I am both your father and your mother. And I nailed your sister.

Another perverse ending on letsrun.com