You blinked, and it’s almost time for the big race…and you realise you haven’t run in weeks, maybe months.
It’s not that you’ve been lounging around on the couch. Maybe you’ve been lifting, yoga-ing or walking. And while you’re active, yes, that feeling of being out of ‘running shape’ makes you dread lacing up to toe the start line of that fun-run 5-K, or even just the edge of your driveway.
If, like us, you’ve encountered the mental roadblock associated with returning to running after a break, you’re…far from alone. The reality is that “it’s hard to fake running fitness, both from a physical standpoint and a psychological one,” says running coach Annick Lamar. How long it takes your body to get back into it is super individual (see “Body Bounce-Back Tips,” below), but in a sense, the mental process also requires training. “Running can actually become a part of how we define ourselves and make us feel strong, purposeful and brave,” points out Lamar. “When we take a break from it, those feelings may also go MIA.”
But real talk: After stopping, it’s tough to get back to running regularly. If you’ve already crushed a couple of jogs this week, however, it’ll take your mind less effort to get out the door again (no surprise there!). “It’s much easier to keep running than to start running, which means you’ll face psychological and physiological hurdles when you’re trying to reestablish the habit,” says Dr Ayelet Fishbach, a professor of Behavioural Science and Marketing at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and the author of Get It Done: Surprising Lessons From the Science of Motivation.
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