Yes, you read right. Burnout. It happens every training cycle - you get to a point where the last thing you are interested in doing is running. You are TIRED. Period. Tired of running, but just all around tired too. That is where I am finding myself now. Since this season started a little earlier this year with the addition of Big Butts 50k, I have found myself in constant training and racing mode since May. Since then I have done 2 half marathons, one full marathon, 1 - 50k, and 2 - 50 milers. I now find myself looking at different surfaces wondering if I could curl up there and take a nap. Tired.
I fully recognized my old friend Burnout today when I was preparing for my run - or, should I say while I was doing everything I could think of to avoid starting my run. I decided I was hungry so I ate a couple of pieces of toast, I fiddled with my gear much longer than necessary, and played around on the enemy of productivity - Facebook. Once I finally got my butt out the door, I dropped my GPS watch and the screen went crazy for a bit then had to search for signal again. I was more than happy to stand in the middle of the street waiting on it. Normally I would have just taken off and let it catch up with me.
Luckily, this isn't my first rodeo, so I knew this was coming, just like the overuse aches and pains that are starting to set in. Nothing crippling, just little twinges reminding me that I am at the peak of my training schedule, in case I hadn't already noticed that. I also know that the antidotes to running Burnout are: 1. change of venue and 2. running buddies. As luck would have it, one of my original long run buddies, Stephanie Day, the Team in Training run coach, had a group run planned for this evening, so I hopped on board. It was just what the doctor ordered. I didn't wear a watch and didn't worry about our pace. We just ran and talked. The 3.5 miles flew by. This was by far the most effortless run I have done in a long time, and it was purely because of the stellar company.
Now for the change of venue. I was telling a friend today that I feel like there should be ruts along my regular route from me running the exact same roads over and over. As much as I love running in Broussard, with every run being 10+ miles now, I have seen enough of its roads for a while. So, this weekend I am joining a group of idiots who are running a 22 mile route from Sunset though Carencro and Grand Coteau. I have driven part of this route and it is beautiful - rolling hills and horse farms. It is just what the doctor ordered. With that run, I will have 60 miles for the week. The best part? Next week is a down week, and I only have to run 46 or so miles. Yes, that was typed with sarcasm. They really need to invent a sarcasm font.
This is the time in training when I really start to take care of myself. I am back taking the multi-vitamin that I usually forget about, and I am adding either Airborne or Emergen-C to my recovery shakes. And, if I see you in public and you are sneezing or coughing, please don't be offended if I just wave and smile from across the room. This seems to be the time in my training when every person with a runny nose wants to seek me out for a hug. Not happening folks. :)
It is 9:30 p.m. and I am going to bed. I think my brain already beat me there, so I take no responsibility for anything said after this point. :)
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