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Are you getting burned out? Here are some helpful tips that Shawn McDonald shared at his very interesting web site.
A few suggestions for combating burnout. This is a problem many ultrarunners have to deal with. There are a number of ways to get back to normal. Burnout can have physical and/or mental components. Here are a list of things to try: 1. Take a cutback week. Reduce your mileage by at least 50% for a week (or two). Take at least two days completely off in that week, and maybe try some cross training on other days. I find that cycling, hiking, swimming, and other sports give me a break, and revive me mentally. 2. Change your routine. Run on different routes than you usually do. If you don't usually run on trails, then head to a local park or out of the city (assuming you live in/near one). Run with new friends, or with people you have not run with in a while. Try a group that runs faster or slower than you usually run. Enter a local 5K run and do it as a pace workout, trying to run the first and third miles in the same time. 3. Take a break after your ultra races. For at least the week following the ultra run a lot less than you normally train, and take two off-days. Do some cross training instead of running. Don't worry about getting in more running miles, you won't lose fitness that fast, and are much less likely to get injured if you come back to running slowly after the ultra. Many ultrarunners do too much running right after an ultra, and don't give themselves a proper recovery. This is an overlooked part of a training program. For tips, see Bob Glovers' Competitive runners handbook. 4. Be careful of long lasting conditions such as dehydration and lack of sleep. Overtraining/burnout is a downward spiral which requires some changes in your training routine and mental outlook to get out of. Chronic dehydration is more likely in the hot summer months. Also, slow down the pace of your running in hot weather, and drink lots of water before/during/after. If you usually don't suffer burnout in the winter/spring, then think about what is different now. The weather is hotter, you are running more mileage, you are focusing mentally on racing, etc. Well, it may seem contrary to "running sense" but IMHO if one has a cutback week every fourth or fifth week, then in the long run you will be a stronger/faster ultrarunner, have fewer injuries, and be Go To Page: 1 2 |
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