To Run or Not to Run: 5 Signs that It's Time to Re-evaluate your Relationship with Running

I don't think it's a secret by now that I love running; from increased cardiovascular health to stress relief to friendship-making, running provides so many benefits to help enhance your life. But I'm also a strong believer that sometimes the best thing to do for both your physical and mental health is to take time away from the sport.

Which is why below I've outlined 5 main signs of when it's time to re-evaluate your relationship with running.

1) You feel stress and anxiety about taking off-days

Off-days are a beautiful thing; they give your body time to relax and recover for the busy week ahead, not to mention they provide you with some extra time in the day to do things that normally might fall of your agenda. Maybe you decide to try a new fall recipe, or watch a feel-good movie with your family -- doesn't it all sound so nice and calming?

Now tell that to a runner and watch them immediately start to panic and hyperventilate.

The weird thing is that for many runners, the hardest part about the sport isn't preparing mentally or physically for a challenging workout; it's being told not to run for an entire day. Or elliptical, or swim, or even bike. Gasp! The horror!

Let's get this out of the way first: no, your body will not lose fitness on rest days. In fact, in many ways, rest days actually help your body gain fitness by giving it the necessary time to recover and therefore allowing you to push yourself harder during trainings.

It's also important to ask yourself why you're so stressed out about taking a rest day. Is it simply because you're worried about losing fitness, or does it stem from some other source (like, for example, concerns about body image)? It's important to be honest with yourself when answering these questions because your relationship with exercise won't get better until you start identifying the root issues.

2) You feel like you have to eat less on days you don't workout

This is a serious issue that emerges whenever you don't have a healthy relationship with running. The tricky part is that it may be subtle too; it could be seemingly subconscious food rules that you don't even realize that you're following. For example, maybe you normally don't think twice about eating a sandwich for lunch on days that you run, but on your off days you find yourself hesitating and opting for a salad instead. Or maybe you decide to skip your bedtime snack because you feel like you don't really "need" it on a rest day. It doesn't have to be cutting out entire meals or food groups, but the motivation is the same.

Here's the ugly truth about this issue: you're only harming your body by doing this. First off, your body needs and deserves (*enough*) food simply to function whether you worked out or not. You do not ever "earn" your meals, that simply comes by virtue of being alive. But in addition to that, from a purely athletic standpoint, your body needs proper fuel to allow it to effectively recover from the stress you put it under throughout the week during your workouts. And if you're still not convinced, read this article on "why may even be hungrier on rest days than normal workout days."

3) You're continuously pushing yourself during workouts despite your body telling you to stop // slow down

This is a really tricky one for athletes, especially in a competition like running where a major part of the sport involves pushing yourself even and especially when things get tough. But there's a key difference between pushing yourself during a workout and ignoring your body's clear cries to stop.

I had a very wise track coach who said something seemingly obvious but that she (rightly) felt needed continuous repeating to our distance group: "Never run through pain. If you're hurt, or feel like something's starting to hurt, stop."

Aw yes, the trap of being a distance runner with an incredibly high pain tolerance while simultaneously being terrified of falling behind and losing fitness. Gets me every time.

Speaking from personal experience, nothing good comes from ignoring your body and trying to "push through" the pain. A couple days off is a whole lot better than a couple months (or longer).

4) Your motivation to workout comes from a desire to "look" a certain way or to change your body

Out of all the things that I love about running, the aspect of it that I may love the most is how strong and confident it makes me feel. There's nothing that can compare to the endorphins that rush through you after a good run, or the pride in finishing and rocking a tough workout.

But when I was at my worst with my body image and disordered eating, I absolutely hated running because I abused it as a way to change my body and viewed it exclusively as a tool to "burn calories." I don't think that I have to go into detail on why this is such a dangerous and harmful mindset, and I know it's a problem that unfortunately affects many female runners today. What I will say on this issue is that exercise and movement should be something that adds to your life and makes you feel good, something you do to help relieve stress and because you want to live a long and healthy life --- which brings me to my final point.

5) It's no longer fun & doesn't bring you joy

Think about the last time you PR'd in a race or finished a fun, goofy long run with your teammates/friends. Think about how strong you felt in the weight room or calm you felt after a relaxing jog. Think about how much fun and joy you got from those experiences.

Now evaluate how you feel about running right now. Is it still fun? Does it still enhance your life, or is it doing more harm than good? Do you still look forward to lacing up your sneakers and hitting the trails, or do you dread it and have to drag yourself through the workout? If you're having these thoughts, then (1) acknowledge that this is okay, and (2) consider taking a break from running. No one said you have to run, it's that you get to run. And if you aren't able to view it in this mindset right now, then it's totally fine to take some time off and do something else. The trails will still be there for you if or when you decide to go back :)

Sources:

https://www.outsideonline.com/health/nutrition/hungrier-on-rest-days/