Why are some days so hard to jog/run?

missigus
missigus Posts: 207 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Does Anyone else struggle with this? Some days I feel like i could run forever, i find my pace and it feels relatively effortless or just good. Other days It is torture- I'm tired from the start and can barely bust a mile. I have no idea what causes these differences. I am back to jogging after a long hiatus. I had double knee bursitis and had to go thru therapy. Although i will never be the runner I was, I am just happy to be doing it at all. That being said, I have built up slowly, I'm at 3 miles, where i will stay for my knees health, I go at a slow pace, and try to only run/jog 4 days a week, and walk or do something else in between. I also run around the same time, same area outdoors. I know its def not over training...as if!! LOL.

But anyway, just wondering if any of you go through this and how you tend to deal with it? I know there's some great runners on here! I tend to push through, but hate that i have to, it's frustrating. I think progress is being made...then wham, not so much... I want more of those great days...Any suggestions? Thanks!

Replies

  • Quickster34
    Quickster34 Posts: 209 Member
    if you find a surefire way to have more of those good days let me know hah, i run 6 days a week and like you said some days just suck, doesnt matter what you do to make it better its just not going to feel good, i tried for a long time to track it and see what causes it to no avail so now when they come i just make sure i finish my workouts and live to run another day, good luck!
  • kmaas802
    kmaas802 Posts: 19
    I run 4 days a week and I have this problem once in a while. It happens! I just chalk it up to a bad run and wait for the next run to go well!
  • wolfchild59
    wolfchild59 Posts: 2,608 Member
    Personally, I found that I had fewer and fewer bad run days when I stopped running every day. I mixed in some other types of cardio as well as strength training. I do normal run days on Sun, Tue, and Thu. Then either a different form of cardio or a non-steady pace run day on Wed (hill training or fartleks), and different cardio on Sat. Then I do strength in Mon and Thu. With Fri as my rest day.

    Since I swapped from running six days to the above schedule, I've found that my run days are more consistent. Yes, I still have rough ones here and there, but theyre much less frequent now. It used to be a weekly, or even more than once a week issue, now it's maybe monthly, or less.

    Don't know if that's the answer for everybody. But it's worked well for me.

    And yes, it was really hard for me to not run everyday, as that was my preferred workout choice. But I trusted in the training plan I'd found that laid it out like that and haven't looked back since.
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
    I've also found by cutting back my runs to 4 x weekly and mixing up distances and intensity I rarely have a bad run. I have days where I have to push myself to get out the door but once I get moving I'm good.

    Having said that, when I first started running I had days where it was a struggle - it may just be a matter of adaptation if you're newly back at it.
  • wolfchild59
    wolfchild59 Posts: 2,608 Member
    mixing up distances and intensity I rarely have a bad run.

    Yes, this too! I have one weekly long run, a mid length run at an easy pace and then a short run at race pace or faster. I've found that the times I've had a bad run it's because I've pushed too hard at all of the runs lately instead of allowing for the pace variances.
  • pdworkman
    pdworkman Posts: 1,342 Member
    mixing up distances and intensity I rarely have a bad run.

    Yes, this too! I have one weekly long run, a mid length run at an easy pace and then a short run at race pace or faster. I've found that the times I've had a bad run it's because I've pushed too hard at all of the runs lately instead of allowing for the pace variances.

    I do this too. And I talk to myself about what kind of run my body needs on a particular day, even if I'm on a training schedule. Which day am I going to work on speed? One day I'll work on cadence, with no music. I run Friday and Saturday (long run), so Friday is usually a slower, shorter run. Sometimes I'll plan to go slow (working off a cold, or cramps, or tired, or recovering from a sore ankle, etc.) but once I get into it, I want to go fast and hard.

    Sometimes the weather is difficult. Sometimes I've worked too hard the day before. Sometimes I just feel like I'm running through cement, and maybe I'm fighting a virus or something and don't even know it. The day before my period or first day of is usually my fastest time of the month; but if I have heavy cramps, I'm going to start out pretty slow.
  • Nymeria42
    Nymeria42 Posts: 21
    I totally am with ya. Most days I am loving getting outside and running but there are def some days where I am dragging big time and feel so zapped of energy and running is the last thing I wanna be doing. However I just try and bust through and eventually I pick up in energy and get it done.
  • pigpentw
    pigpentw Posts: 13
    I have always ran however I packed on a bit of weight but am back in the game now. I too have those days when it's perfect and you just keep on block after block and other days like this past Sunday I could barely make a mile. It use to eat me up when I hit those walls and I would push threw but this time I listen to my body cut my run short and go home and find something else to do.

    I do mix my work outs up by running, taking an indoor cycle class two days a week, a dance class one day a week and weight train three nights a week.

    Do what feels right unless you are training for a marathon when you hit a wall go with it. Tomorrow is a new day

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