Burnout

YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED that I haven't posted in quite some time. I also have not run a single step in over a week.

I got sick. I burned out. I broke me.

In the section on "Burnout" in The Principles of Running, Amby Burfoot writes,

"First, when your body is rebelling, listen to it. Leg soreness means something. So do other aches, pains and fever. Listen to them."

I didn't.

"You feel great, you're running fast, and every workout seems easy."

Yup.

"No wonder you're tempted to run a little father and harder every day. You sense you are on the verge of a breakthrough."

Uh huh...

"This is often when the breakdown occurs instead. One morning you wake up feeling sluggish and feverish..."

I did.

"An alarm goes off in your head...So you push yourself really hard for the next several days. You succeed to a point, but it takes tremendous effort. In fact, it increases your overall burnout, and soon the downward spiral continues."

Bingo!

"When this happens, the only way out is to take several weeks, sometimes more, of rest and very easy running."

Ugh.

"It's far better to avoid burnout in the first place."

Oh.

Lesson:

"The only way to maintain optimal fitness and energy is to give yourself appropriate breaks when you need them."*
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*pp. 88, 89