Four effective ways to break the running slump.
Consistency is the nirvana of any discipline. Putting in the miles is truly the only way to reap the benefits of endurance running, especially as your body continues to adapt to more strenuous workloads and milestones.
But eventually, the mile log might start to feel like a slog, and you should take it as a sign that it’s time to shake things up. To get back into the flow, I have found the following four methods particularly effective:
- Switch up your route/location. This is an obvious fix if you’re starting to get bored, under-stimulated, or not challenged by cardio sessions. The beauty of running is that it can be done literally anywhere — sidewalks, trails, off-road, fields, sand, tracks, and more. Go left instead of right. Get in your car and drive to a new starting point. Gather some gumption to make some cognizant change to spark your interest in the adventure or running.
- Change your practice structure. It’s optimal to get in one long run a week that you can add a mile to in weekly increments over time. What about the other runs? Here is where I like to train like a multi-event track athlete and try some different methods for optimizing training. This can include intervals, HIIT, hill sprints, jump roping, and more. Pursue a different method, even for just a day, and see how it shakes up your workouts and wakes up new muscle groups.
- Schedule yourself to run, but mix in other activities. As mentioned above, try to get in at least one long run a week. But if you’re hitting a wall and needing a reboot, work on cross-functional exercise programs to maintain your fitness level (e.g., yoga, cycling).
- Sign up for a race. If all else fails, get a date on the calendar that directs you into training seriously.
Running isn’t always fun and it’s rarely easy, but it’s always worth it. By employing one or more of the strategies above, you can keep yourself moving and improving.
