5 Tips to Breaking the Running Blues

Are you remembering times when you couldn’t wait put on a pair of shoes and go for a run?  Are you looking at runners while in your car thinking, "I wish I could be that happy right now"? Has running become just another "To Do List" item to check off?  If you're not enjoying running like you used to, you could be experiencing a case of the running blues (aka. the "RUT"). 

How do you know if you are in the "rut" and are feeling the running blues?  Take a look at Audra Rundle's article "6 Signs You're In A Running Rut"  and see if one of those signs speaks to you.  If one of the six signs reached out and grabbed you, that's great news!  Why would that be great news you ask?  Because, now you've been diagnosed and I'm going to prescribe some possible treatments.  Below are five tips to breaking out of the running blues and getting back to the days when you couldn’t wait to get out the door. 


                             5 TIPS TO BREAKING THE RUNNING BLUES

• Stop running:   You may have heard the song "Don't Know What You Got"by Cinderella where in it, it is says “Don’t know what you got till it’s gone”.  Sometimes we have to be without something for a time before we really know how much we truly loved it.  Take two weeks off from running.  Go do other things you enjoy.  Treat yourself to a bowl of ice cream or favorite dessert and don't feel bad about it.  If you still want to get some exercise in, cross train or try something new.  By taking a break it gives your mind and body a chance to recharge.  Hopefully, within the second week off,  you'll find yourself starting to miss running and the desire to get back out on the roads or trails will return.   

 

• Run with a buddy:   There’s something about running with a good friend and talking the miles away.  If you don’t have a running buddy, join a local running group for a few runs and get to know people.  It’s amazing how quickly you get to know someone on just a couple runs.   Planning a run with someone is also great motivation to help get you out the door.

 

• Run in a new place:   Pick a new trail or a new route - go explore and get a change of scenery.   If you need help finding a new spot to run, check out STAVA or ask your nearest running store.  

 

• Read an inspiring book or watch a movie that inspires you:   Movies can be a powerful way to stimulate something inside and motivate us to want to be great.  Take for instance the below clip in Rocky 4 when Rocky is training to fight the Russian: “Hearts on Fire, strong desire, rages deep within”....  Man, doesn’t that make you want to get out and run a hundred miles :).  Click here to see Runner's World 25 best running movies ever made.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                How about this quote from the book Once a Runner:    “...Or we can blaze! Become legends in our own time, strike fear in the heart of mediocre talent everywhere! We can scald dogs, put records out of reach! Make the stands gasp as we blow into an unearthly kick from three hundred yards out! We can become God's own messengers delivering the dreaded scrolls! We can race dark Satan himself till he wheezes fiery cinders down the back straightaway....They'll speak our names in hushed tones, 'those guys are animals' they'll say! We can lay it on the line, bust a gut, show them a clean pair of heels. We can sprint the turn on a spring breeze and feel the winter leave our feet! We can, by God, let our demons loose and just wail on!”  For more reads that may be able to help you, check this site out. 

 

• Pick a race or distance you’ve never done:  Find a race that will challenge you or one that is known to have a great after party; choose something that gets you excited while reading about it.   Giving yourself something to look forward too can help motivate and get you excited to train again.  Hey, maybe even pick a race in a new state or country - make it an adventure.   

Hopefully, with one or more of the above tips, you'll be able to make some changes that'll bing enjoyment back into your running.  However, if you need more suggestions on things to try,  click here.