my running mojo seems to have disappeared...

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  • Madele1ne
    Madele1ne Posts: 23 Member
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    For those of you playing at home, I skipped a few days of running and then busted out a 10.5k long run yesterday.
    It was Ok. I wouldn't call it amazing but it only sucked in parts. I had a few longish walk breaks (3-4 mins) and my pace was about average. I hope I can keep improving, thanks for the tips :)
  • guessrs
    guessrs Posts: 358 Member
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    It takes time to have good runs. It's taken me a while to build up, I think few months to actually enjoy a 10 km run. Also you don't say how much you weigh. When I was a heavy weight, my runs were awful every time. So give it time and the lighter you weigh the better your runs will feel.
  • imogen11
    imogen11 Posts: 15
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    Are you particularly stressed at the moment? Are you getting enough sleep? Sometimes slumps like this can become a mental thing - you have a couple of bad runs and feel you've lost your mojo, you start to worry about this a little, and sure enough, you're next run is a crappy one too, your worry increases, you tell yourself again that you've lost your mojo, and the next run is crappy again, and so on. Running is very much a mental challenge as well as a physical one! Most runners go through slumps now and then and things will soon right themselves as long as you're getting enough rest, getting enough carbs, and not eating at too large a deficit, etc. Good luck! :-)
  • Madele1ne
    Madele1ne Posts: 23 Member
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    I'm 188 pounds and 5'11". I am probably carrying a large turkey on my runs ...
  • HornedFrogPride
    HornedFrogPride Posts: 283 Member
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    This is one of my favorite topics. I'm an asthmatic marathoner with a cholesterol problem. Due to my asthma, I used to not be able to run a 1/4 mile (my brothers and father would lap me). Sticking with it, I learned that the longer the run, the better a runner I was or became. We all have a "running groove" as I would call it and it takes time to really develop that but once you are focused and "in the groove", your endurance increases, the weight starts coming off, you get hooked on the endorphin rush, and realize you need that. Daily if possible for some of us. I was also frustrated with this "out of the groove" feeling after a May marathon and was able to shake out of it in a couple weeks by varying my workouts a lot: balancing long slow distance runs with tempo runs, fartlek (my favorite!), acceleration gliders, high-intensity intervals, hills, "opposite turn" day where you turn the opposite direction from usual on your running courses, and lately, running on golf courses early before the golfers show up. We all go through cycles of running hard and feeling exhausted/frustrated. Sometimes it's a matter of being properly fueled (for me this means oatmeal or greek yogurt before a longer run and kale the night before/after the run.) You just have to keep trying. Your mojo will return. Have you tried foam rollers to help you through some of your leg pain? They are pretty cheap but they help a lot. Hope this helps. Don't stop runnin', your efforts will bear fruit. P.S. The advice on working on your core (planks, not necessarily just reverse) is excellent, I have weak wrists but with a lot of effort, help/advice from others, and determination have worked up past 6 minutes in planking and that has strengthened my core substantially and has helped me become a better runner by developing more endurance. Any core work like that is a great idea. It takes practice.
  • SRH7
    SRH7 Posts: 2,037 Member
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    Wish we could sticky this thread - lots of great advice and support :smile:
  • Madele1ne
    Madele1ne Posts: 23 Member
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    Thanks for all the tips.
    My race is in two weeks and I feel like it's doable (it's a 12k).

    I took my husband on my long run this weekend (he rode a bike). The running app I was using wasn't working properly. It underestimated our distance, hence it kept telling me I was going ridiculously slow (which made me think I was losing my mind) and when I checked our route we actually went 14km! My previous longest run was 10.5km.

    Needless to say I feel a bit wrecked now and I'm definitely going to be sore tomorrow. But the run itself was decent, some bad patches and some great bits. Having another person there made a big difference in motivation (and he carried the water bottle!) The last time we went on one of my runs together I was super slow, just starting out, so it was nice that he noticed a big improvement in my pace.

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