Burnout?

Burnout?

"Got a problem...it is a week and a half to race day and I'm burned out! I ran 8 miles last Friday and I had to MAKE myself do it. And I was supposed to do it Thursday! Sunday was supposed to be a 20-mile run, and I just too sick of it after 13 and quit! I did 4 on the treadmill yesterday. Got up this morning to do speed work and I'm sitting here frustrated and procrastinating.

Total burn out! And my race is a week and a half away!

What should I do???"

Wow. I got this text one morning. I had some thoughts.

Relax. Realize that it's all part of the process. Sometimes we go through cycles. And get out of your own head!

There are at least 10 reasons why you are feeling this way and NONE of them have anything to do with your lack of ability. (Time to write down a list of those 10 reasons.)

We all go through this kind of thing. Doubts creep in. You start stressing out. So what, you missed out on a couple of the runs on the printed schedule from the River Bank Run that Greg Meyer designed. THAT PLAN WAS A SUGGESTION!!! No one can do the same thing everyone else does. We all have lives. We do our best. It's cool. 

Do something different. Text a different friend than you normally run with and schedule something. Run at a different time or in a different place. Do something small that's totally unrelated but still needs to be done, just to get a tiny success into your head. Plan dinner and make a shopping list or something. You'll be just fine. 

Race day will come. You'll be fine. Your friends will all be there, getting ready with you, running with you, and partying afterward. It will be great.