Now that the Crescent City Classic has come, and gone, it is officially the off season for running in Louisiana. A time for everyone to get real used to sweating buckets on every run and cursing our proximity to the equator. With this also comes a time to take a break from trying to get that almighty PR and get back to what running was, and can be…fun.
Back when i first started running it was to lose weight and really felt like a chore. Somewhere along the way it became fun and was actually really enjoyable. Then came races and setting PR’s and Yasso 880’s and speed work and chasing PR’s and all of the sudden running was a chore again. I’ve come across a lot of runners that have fallen into the same mindset. I’m not trying to say that any of that is bad or that you shouldn’t try to improve your running, not at all. I just also know from experience that this can lead to getting burned out and losing your desire to run all together.
Recently I found myself starting to get burned out so I’ve tried to make a conscious effort to just go out and have fun when I run. I leave my headphones in the car and listen to things around me when I run. I stop and look at cool stuff, or take time to notice things I never see when I’m out trying to rock a hard speed workout. It’s refreshing to just go out for a run and not be a slave to a certain pace, or distance, or time. Just go out and run like a kid. During the summer you’re not going to be running your fastest anyway so might as well make your sacrifice to the humidity gods as enjoyable as possible.
If you feel like running is getting to be a chore, and are starting to get worn out, leave your watch and your ipod at home and just have fun. Take in the scenery and enjoy the sights and sounds of a good run around Louisiana.