Photo by Mikhail Nilov on Pexels
I was out for an evening walk a few days ago when I met a friend. She looked at me in surprise.
‘Why are you walking? I don’t expect to see you walking!’
But I do walk, I said with a half-laugh. She thought I was joking.
Here’s the thing. I’ve been running for 20+ years. It’s not like I am more driven than other people, I’ve just managed to stay consistent and avoid burnout.
As much as I am passionate about running, it can get exhausting at times. Because of this, I make sure to find ways to keep myself injury-free and motivated.
Running burnout happens when the amount of training you do exceeds the amount of recovery you get.
Running burnout manifests in both physical and mental ways. Symptoms include poor sleep, lack of motivation, irritability, and constant injuries.
I read in PubMed that:
It has been well documented that mental fatigue impairs cognitive performance; however, more recently, it has been demonstrated that endurance performance is also impaired by mental fatigue.
Here are 5 ways to avoid burnout.
Schedule breaks into your running program
I never run for more than three months without a break. I train for 12 weeks then take a break for 10-14 days. I do not run during this time. Instead, I do the least amount of exercise.
A 30-minute walk, 3 days a week.
I do not worry about losing my muscle tone, speed, or stamina. If anything, taking breaks helps me perform better.
Running makes little tears in your muscles, which your body has to repair and rebuild. This rebuilding process occurs during your rest days and when you sleep.
A rest day doesn’t mean you have to sit on the couch all day. Instead, consider the idea of an active rest day. A bit of movement can increase blood flow. This reduces soreness and speeds up recovery. Consider trying a gentle yoga class, an easy bike ride, a brisk walk, or even a light jog.
Incorporate other activities
Engage in any activity that supplements your running. This can be swimming, yoga, aqua-jogging, rowing, and hiking.
Cross-training has many benefits.
Mental Break — No matter how much passion you have for running, if you do it often enough or with excessive repetition of routes and routines, it will become boring. We are stimulated by variety and turned off by monotony. Cross-training helps you maintain your enthusiasm. This makes it possible to train harder and more consistently and ultimately to perform better in races.
Balances your muscle groups — Cross-training helps to strengthen muscles that are used less during running. You can focus on specific areas — such as your upper body— that don’t get worked as much while running.
Reduce your chance of injury — By balancing your weaker muscles with your stronger ones, you’ll help reduce your chance of injury. It will also lessen the stress on your joints, which are often a sore spot for runners.
Find a community to run with
Nothing beats the feeling of going for a run alone.
You find a place to hide your key, lace up your shoes, and hit the trails. Alone with your thoughts and the sound of your shoes pounding the ground, you can ponder your life or the scenery around you. There is no one talking in your ear, slowing you down, or making you run at a pace you are not accustomed to.
But running can get lonely, no matter how introverted you are. Your neighbourhood routes can become routine and not offer a challenge.
Here is where a community comes in.
Running with others will allow you to try out new routes. It will help you stick to training as your motivation wanes and waxes. It will give you a chance to talk about mileage, pace, and fartleks with like-minded people.
A great reminder that you are not alone in this crazy pursuit.
And an antidote to burnout.
Learn to listen to your body
Great running always comes from a healthy body. Anything that impedes that process — like overuse injuries and burnout — does nothing but slow down your speed, stamina, and self-confidence.
It is important to listen to your body.
At the first sign of an issue, cut back on your mileage, reduce the intensity of your runs, and seek treatment. Pushing past an injury not only aggravates it but sets you up for a longer recovery time.
Have plenty of forgiveness for yourself
I can’t tell you the number of times I have compared myself to other runners. I will stroll through their stats and feel a tinge of envy at their paces. Because of this, I’ve run at speeds my body couldn’t handle and suffered injuries from it.
By its nature, running is a competitive sport. Runners are hardworking and dedicated. The desire to get faster, run longer, and compete more is hardwired in many of us. And this helps us keep showing up. Embrace this. It will pay off in the long run.
Beating yourself up will foster self-hatred and make you feel like there’s no progress. You’ll push yourself away from running.
5 tips on avoiding burnout
Take breaks. There is a lot to be gained in resting.
2. Mix up your workouts. There is strength in variety.
3. Listen to your body. There is a price to pay for running when injured.
4. Isolation will break you. Maintain connections with other runners. There is comfort in numbers.
5. Be forgiving to yourself. Be ambitious. Run your race. There is value in staying true to yourself.
And whatever you do, don’t force yourself to run through burnout. It will only burn you out faster.