“Rest is not the enemy of progress. It’s a part of it.”
Runners burn out all the time. Knowing why it happens can help you prevent it from happening.
What is Burnout?
Burnout is that dreadful feeling of having to go for a run. Instead of wanting to go for a run, you delay or convince yourself that you can skip your run. It’s tired legs and a tired mind. It’s the feeling of having to go for a run instead of getting to go for a run.
It’s like a fog that’s equal parts mental and physical.
It’s most likely going to happen after a really long training cycle. However, it can also happen in micro-doses at any point in training when you’re a little bit over-tired.
Here’s how to combat burning out:
Training Tips To Avoid Burnout
One major way to avoid burnout is to have your training resemble a bell curve. In the early stages of your training, running volume is low and so is intensity. As you get fitter, your mileage gets higher and you add longer runs and workouts. Finally, you finish up your training cycle by tapering.
Recovery is the name of the game when it comes to avoiding burnout. You need to rest well each night and even take care of yourself during the day.
Training, regardless of race distance, takes a toll on your body. Rest and adaptation are how you get fitter and stronger. If all you do is train hard and don’t allow for recovery, you’ll end up burnt out pretty quickly.
Not only do you need rest daily and weekly, but you also need after a hard training cycle. If you jump from one training cycle to the next without adequate rest, you’re at a higher risk for burnout.
Varying your training is a great way to keep you sharp and feeling mentally fresh. What does varying your running mean? It means changing things up.
That could mean running new routes or switching up your running surfaces (track, trails, roads, etc). It could also mean doing different types of runs. Try long runs, easy runs, and different types of workouts. Include cross training too.
Avoiding burnout is a real thing that happens to real runners. It’s okay to scale back your training or if really necessary, pause it all together.
Part of my job as a coach is helping runners train smart so they avoid things like burning out. I make sure they have rest weeks built into their plans. This way, they can fully recover before their next training cycle.
It helps them rest their legs. It also allows them to reset their minds. It keeps them fresh. Furthermore, it allows them to get away from the grind for a bit.
If you’re unsure about what to do if you’re feeling burnt out, let’s connect. We can chat about logical steps to get you back on track.
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