I can pretty much guarantee with 100% certainty that we have all had at least one run that sucked. Maybe you just weren’t feeling it from the get go or maybe it started to go downhill mid-run. Whatever happened, it clearly didn’t leave you basking in a runner’s high.
If you find yourself struggling to recover from a bad run, check out some of these tips for getting yourself back on track:
- Take a rest day. If it’s possible to build into your schedule, you might need to take a day off. If you have been training hard and have a crappy run, it could be your body telling you it needs a break.
- As hard as it is, try to put it in perspective. It’s impossible to have a great run every day. If you have peaks in your training, there will always be valleys. If you can begin to accept the valleys as an inevitable part of training, it can make them easier to deal with.
- On your next scheduled run day, complete a workout that you know you can nail. By setting yourself up for success, it can help you refocus your training with a positive mindset.
- Talk it out. Talking to another runner and swapping stories can make you feel better about your crummy run. There’s a comfort in knowing that we have all been there and can totally relate!
- Try to figure out what went wrong on your run. Were you overtraining? Are you eating enough? Are you hydrated? You can learn a lot from bad runs—what you need to change to turn them into good ones!
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