5 Tips for Avoiding Burnout as a Runner

One of the biggest hurdles that any long time runner is going to face is burn out. Things are going great; you’re getting faster, you’re enjoying your runs and you have to hold yourself back from running too much. But then something changes, and you find that you’re getting slower, and running becomes a chore rather than something you’re loong forward to.

Burn out is actually usually a sign that you’ve been pushing too hard for too long, and your cumulative fatigue has gotten too great for your body to overcome. It can also mean that you’ve simply gotten as much as you are going to get out of your current training plan. Either way, you need to take steps to fix it or you are going to b subject to injury and stagnation.

Stop Running

Not forever. But if it’s been years since the last time you took so much as even a week off, then a period where you stay away from pounding the pavement for a week or two will go a long way to helping you get over burnout. You won’t lose any notable fitness over the course of a week or two, so you don’t need to worry about that, and the odds are good that you will actually find yourself fitter and faster some time off.

Cut Back on Volume

Related to the above, you should probably schedule some less stressful weeks every so often. Instead of not running, include a week of active recovery where you drop your mileage in half and slow your pace down slightly. If you include one every four to eight weeks, you can drastically extend the time you can train before burning out. A program designed with proper rest periods can actually stave off burn out and stagnation indefinitely.

Do Something Different

Just like it says; switch your running routine to something different. If you’ve been doing a lot of long slow distance work, go to shorter and faster runs. Or you can replace some of your running with cross training exercise like cycling or swimming. The key idea here is to give your body something fresh to adapt to and work different systems, which will kick you out of burn out mode.

Run in a Race

If your burnout is purely mental, in that you’re still get good results but you’re bored and don’t want to do it, sign up for a race using our couch to 5K program. Whatever length you like, but far enough off in the future that you have to train for it. You will find that having an actual competition in front of you will go a long way to putting the fire for running back in your spirit.

Do Whatever You Want

Get off the programs. Go out and run, for however long you like, for as far as you like. Don’t worry about times or mileage and just try to get back in touch with what you loved about running and what your body needs. A month of just playing with running can do wonders for burnout.