Why is it so hard to get back to my regular running schedule?

There’s a great book called “Train Hard, Win Easy: The Kenyan Way.”  The author, Toby Tanser, spent a lot of time living and training at Kenyan training camps.  He interviewed dozens of Kenya’s best runners including Olympic medalists and world record holders.  Here’s an excerpt that demonstrates how important it is to allow your body & mind to recover:

“The Kenyan system works very much around the circle of resting the body, building up, racing and resting again.  It is not uncommon for athletes to take breaks up to three months or longer each year. Nearly every Kenyan athlete rests starting the month of October, with most not resuming training until December or January.” He then goes on to provide specific examples of what people do during their breaks from serious training.

If you’re struggling physically and with motivation right now, it’s natural.  Think of it as your mind & body forcing you to take a little more rest than you had originally planned.  It’s amazing the success we can find when we truly pay attention to the mind/body connection instead of following only our brain and our will power.  If it makes you feel better, consider it in these terms – your mind & body are trying to be like some of the best Kenyans.

Have faith that you’ll be back to your old self after a period of easy running and purely enjoying the sport for the simple act of running.  It’s healthy and normal so don’t feel the need to force yourself to train more or harder than you’re ready.