In a running rut

A running rut is like hitting the wall on a long run without even having been on the road. It can happen to anyone at any time. If you’re having a tough week at work, you may feel too drained to run, or end up having a terrible run. You may be bored of running and feel frustrated with not improving. You may even feel like hanging up your shoes for good. Don’t do that – try these fun tips to get yourself out of the running rut.

Roadies hit the trails … trail runners hit the streets. You know what they say – a change is as good as a holiday. Take a scenery holiday and look around for a new route to run through the nearest park or on a pretty road. Running trails for road runners can be technically demanding. Running roads for trail runners can help you experience the speed you can’t achieve on trails.

Pull in a buddy. Runners are a special community. Pull in community support for when you’re feeling stuck in a rut. You can have different buddies for different training sessions and you’ll find the distances melt away. Pick running partners who are slightly faster than you to help push you.

Aim for a mark. Enter an event that’s slightly above your skill level and then work to do your best at that event. Make sure it’s far enough in the future so that you can adequately train for it to avoid injuring yourself or burning out. Training for a fixed goal will help you refocus.

Take a break. Decide that for a month (or however long you feel you need it) you’re going to take a running break. Try cycling, for instance, as being fit on the bike can improve your running endurance, strength, and fitness.

Add in a little cycling. Adding some cycling to your running workout in a week will not only improve your strength and fitness for running, but help you to diversify and feel reinvigorated. For extra motivation, enter a cycling event!

Any of these strategies, or any combination of them, can help to reinvigorate your love for running and get you back to working towards your next personal best.