After achieving any big running goal, it's always a good idea to take some time out for rest and recovery, both physically and mentally. A week or so of easy walks, stretching, and perhaps a little light strength work is ideal, but running should be avoided after a hard effort long distance run (e.g. a marathon or ultra). Taking a bit of downtime from training will help everything recover faster with less demands being put on the body and more rest a definite winner in this period.
Sometimes however, you may find yourself in a bit of a slump where you don't feel like returning to running at all! This is totally okay and probably a sign that you need a mental break from running just as much as the physical breather. Once you decided that enough downtime has been had, you may still require a bit of assistance to get going again, so here's my top 5 tips to help get you out the door for a run.
- Pop it into your diary like you would an appointment, so you don’t miss it.
- Arrange to meet a friend - running is always better with company!
- Choose a pretty place to run for inspiration.
- Be prepared for all kinds of weather - heat, rain, cold (a variety of RunFaster tights will help you out here 😉).
- Set a new goal! The time has come to find your next big one and you may find it's exactly what you need to kick you back into gear!
Good luck!
Written by: Rachel Allworth - Accredited Running Coach