A Rut

the first major rut i've encountered in my 4.5 years of running. not a bad record i guess. the past
couple of weeks have been overrun with packing, moving, and unpacking duties, and with extremely
little time to do anything else ('cept maybe read a chapter of a book here and there), i failed to
hit the roads as frequently as i'm used to doing.

i went one full week without a run, did one, then a few days later another, and after another few
days (today), i squeezed in another one. but these runs weren't very satisfying. something was
missing. and before the runs i've been so awfully close to saying "the hell with it". it took some
extra digging deep to kick my own butt out the door for these workouts. they were reasonably
strong runs, just tempo w/o's these days, but tho' the exercise made me feel better, the act of
running just didn't excite me like it usually does. i keep thinking of other things, like
swimming, or even some cycling (both of which i haven't done for some time). the colder weather
has likely something to do with all of this.... i love the shorts and t-shirt minimalism of summer
running, and am not wild about the pants and layers involved with the cold/snow running. this may
change as time goes on.

just wondering if others are going thru anything similar in these cooler, grayer fall days.
who knows, maybe this break will do me good and i'll be more enthused once i'm back into the
spirit of it.

Cam

--
Not every race can be a perfect experience, but every race can be a learning experience.

In article <cam_wilson-5B607F.22432628102003@nr-tor01.bellnexxia.net>, onemarathon wrote:
> the first major rut i've encountered in my 4.5 years of running. not a bad record i guess. the
> past couple of weeks have been overrun with packing, moving, and unpacking duties, and with
> extremely little time to do anything else ('cept maybe read a chapter of a book here and there), i
> failed to hit the roads as frequently as i'm used to doing.
>
> i went one full week without a run, did one, then a few days later another, and after another few
> days (today), i squeezed in another one.

How long is it since you had a decent layoff (one month or more) ?

Cheers,
--
Donovan Rebbechi http://pegasus.rutgers.edu/~elflord/

On Tue, 28 Oct 2003 22:43:26 -0500, onemarathon <cam_wilson@NOSPAMsympatico.ca> wrote:

>the first major rut i've encountered in my 4.5 years of running. not a bad record i guess. the past
>couple of weeks have been overrun with packing, moving, and unpacking duties, and with extremely
>little time to do anything else ('cept maybe read a chapter of a book here and there), i failed to
>hit the roads as frequently as i'm used to doing.
>
>i went one full week without a run, did one, then a few days later another, and after another few
>days (today), i squeezed in another one. but these runs weren't very satisfying. something was
>missing. and before the runs i've been so awfully close to saying "the hell with it". it took some
>extra digging deep to kick my own butt out the door for these workouts. they were reasonably
>strong runs, just tempo w/o's these days, but tho' the exercise made me feel better, the act of
>running just didn't excite me like it usually does. i keep thinking of other things, like
>swimming, or even some cycling (both of which i haven't done for some time). the colder weather
>has likely something to do with all of this.... i love the shorts and t-shirt minimalism of summer
>running, and am not wild about the pants and layers involved with the cold/snow running. this may
>change as time goes on.
>
>just wondering if others are going thru anything similar in these cooler, grayer fall days.
>who knows, maybe this break will do me good and i'll be more enthused once i'm back into the
>spirit of it.
>
>Cam

I know exactly how you feel, happens to me every year. I've found as I got older that it's better to
just take a few months off during this nasty time of year. I use an eliptical trainer in my off
months, and I've found it takes very little transition when I return to the trails in the spring.
TheBillRodgers

onemarathon <cam_wilson@NOSPAMsympatico.ca> wrote in message
news:<cam_wilson-5B607F.22432628102003@nr-tor01.bellnexxia.net>...

> (...) i love the shorts and t-shirt minimalism of summer running, and am not wild about the pants
> and layers involved with the cold/snow running. this may change as time goes on.

This is a familiar seasonal phenomenon up here. The memories of the summer´s warmth and endless
sunlight hours are so fresh in the mind that dressing up in that heavy gear and running in the cold
yellow electric light amidst the darkness outdoors is almost spirit-numbing and often leads to the
kind of rut you describe.

There are three common solutions: 1) move to other, indoor sports,
2) have a break (and take up other acitivities) for a while, or
3) motivate yourself by setting a goal (a New Year´s Eve 10K, a February ski marathon, an April
marathon, for instance, or just a certain total mileage) and get your ass out of the door!

4) is never a poor alternative, 2) can be quite good for you (but you´d better have a plan for when
and how you´re going to restart), and 3) could turn out to bring you moments of quite unexpected
joy during a run that started with the enthusiasm one would approach the task of, say, peeling a
sackful of potatoes.

I had one such moment - lasting maybe twenty minutes:-) - on Saturday in snowfall, two inches of it
already on the ground and more coming down against my face and slowly melting on my clothes, the
landscape almost monochromatic between the darkgray of the low cloud ceiling and the white of the
snow; it was a weather in which only dog-walkers would venture out (and in the two hours I saw only
one other runner), yet in spite - or because:-) - of the adverse conditions I began to enjoy myself
and at one point it was as if my eye-sight suddenly became clearer: the green of the fir trees and
the yellowbrown of the birch leaves still hanging on the branches appeared more luminous, the whole
landscape was somehow more *present* - and so was I, in a very intense, yet completely unwilled way.

Gosh, whatever it was, it was over in about twenty minutes anmd the rest of the run was uneventful,
except for the snow seeping through the jacket before I got home.

Anders

onemarathon wrote:

> the first major rut i've encountered in my 4.5 years of running. not a bad record i guess. the
> past couple of weeks have been overrun with packing, moving, and unpacking duties, and with
> extremely little time to do anything else ('cept maybe read a chapter of a book here and there), i
> failed to hit the roads as frequently as i'm used to doing.

Hmmm, just a thought, but it sounds like some time off to cool it and take care of rest-of-life
issues might be a good idea.

FWIW, I go through this every summer with my field work getting in the way of life including
running. I thought I had found a balance through most of this summer, then ended up with just too
much stress and work that had to get done during a peak harvest time and things in general not
cooperating. (more mental than physical) I ended up backing off completely from everything for
almost 2 wks in early Sep and even then, when I restarted, my hr barely budged above a fast-walk
level even though I was going through motions of running. Took a few runs before things started
clicking again and still rebuilding.

We're different up here weather-wise. Normal winters are drier and much brighter than summer rainy
season, so many of us really look forward to a cool, dry fall, if we're lucky, then crisp, intensely
blue skies of winter (assuming it's not snowing) that we never see with the humidity of summer.
That's why last winter's warm temperatures and rain were so depressing, it was like having August
year round. Oh, yeah, and the tourists and their RV's go home!

I know you like races more so than training and aren't racing right now for personal reasons. Maybe
after a break, you could conjure up a "race" or a goal run (no expenses involved either way) -
either alone or with friends - to focus on - a mini-goal. Does the running shoe store where you're
working have anything going on - like clinics or whatever? Or just go for an exploration run to mix
things up. I seldom race, but I've always got goals that I'm working toward.

Another thought, too, is do you periodize your training at all? or do you just try to do the same
stuff all the time? Periodizing based on weather may help.

>
who knows, maybe this break will do me good
> and i'll be more enthused once i'm back into the spirit of it.

I'm guessing you'll be surprised at your recovery after you take care of rest-of-life issues and
don't try to force it. Run again when you're ready. Just some random thoughts.

Good luck.

Dot

--
"Success is different things to different people" -Bernd Heinrich in Racing the Antelope

"onemarathon" <cam_wilson@NOSPAMsympatico.ca> wrote in message
news:cam_wilson-5B607F.2243262810200...bellnexxia.net...

> just wondering if others are going thru anything similar in these cooler, grayer fall days.
> who knows, maybe this break will do me good and i'll be more enthused once i'm back into the
> spirit of it.

Cam, when you started running did you sit down and ask yourself "Why am I doing this?" Did you come
up with valid reasons or goals? Have your reached those goals? If you have, then you need to
re-evaluate your reasons for running. If you haven't, you need to ascertain whether they're still
relevant to you.

Because I like taking about myself, I'll tell you my answers. I run primarily because I want to
maximise the active period of my life. Therefore, failing to run - other than to minimise injury -
is not an option. I never have arguments with myself 'cause I know that, every day, I must run. OK,
I won't run in the rain, but I realise that's God's way of telling me I need a rest day.

Regular participation in some form of aerobic activity will improve the quality, if not the
duration, of your life. Maybe running is no longer for you. If that's the case stop whining here and
go do something else.

Roger.

imo you need to re-justify why you run, redefine your purpose. maybe you won't, maybe you will.
perhaps a transition into something else is warranted at this time in your life. my running is not
contingent on the climate and the last thing i think about whilst running is "running". for me it's
meditative time, a time/place where i can obtain clarity of mind and contemplate all matters in my
life...derive solutions, decisions, etc. I must make. It's a time to reinforce and reaffirm who i
try to be (a person of perseverence who can press on, mental focus, discipline, etc.)

When I'm thinking/feeling non-enthusiastic, non-motivated.....I remind myself the world stops for no
one. I can choose to go forward or not. Winston Churchill said it best, "If you're going through
hell, keep going".

You might be choosing to go forward in a different direction....from running to another personally
fulfilling endeavor.

Andrew....

Cam:

I often have this problem in the fall. This year I have just finished my first marathon (Oct. 3) and
I was not all that happy with the results, so I am working on some different things to keep me
interested.

I, too, prefer running with as little clothing as possible, so the prospect of jackets, gloves, etc.
is a little disheartening. But this morning I got up and we had a couple of inches of snow, to my
(and the weatherman's) surprise. That's the kind of thing that makes sub-freezing and windy
conditions acceptable for a run.

Anyway, a couple of ideas. First, maybe it is time to take a few weeks off. It can't be the worst
thing in the world. And I don't mean like the last 2 weeks, where you run once in a while and
then feel guilty about not running the rest of the time. This would be a planned sabbatical. Use
it to recharge.

Second idea: Sign up for a race. I am probably the least competitive man I know, but even I get
excited when there is a race looming in the future.

Good luck.

Brian Jones "onemarathon" <cam_wilson@NOSPAMsympatico.ca> wrote in message
news:cam_wilson-5B607F.2243262810200...bellnexxia.net...
> the first major rut i've encountered in my 4.5 years of running. not a bad record i guess. the
> past couple of weeks have been overrun with packing, moving, and unpacking duties, and with
> extremely little time to do anything else ('cept maybe read a chapter of a book here and there), i
> failed to hit the roads as frequently as i'm used to doing.
>
> i went one full week without a run, did one, then a few days later another, and after another few
> days (today), i squeezed in another one. but these runs weren't very satisfying. something was
> missing. and before the runs i've been so awfully close to saying "the hell with it". it took some
> extra digging deep to kick my own butt out the door for these workouts. they were reasonably
> strong runs, just tempo w/o's these days, but tho' the exercise made me feel better, the act of
> running just didn't excite me like it usually does. i keep thinking of other things, like
> swimming, or even some cycling (both of which i haven't done for some time). the colder weather
> has likely something to do with all of this.... i love the shorts and t-shirt minimalism of summer
> running, and am not wild about the pants and layers involved with the cold/snow running. this may
> change as time goes on.
>
> just wondering if others are going thru anything similar in these cooler, grayer fall days.
> who knows, maybe this break will do me good and i'll be more enthused once i'm back into the
> spirit of it.
>
> Cam
>
> --
> Not every race can be a perfect experience, but every race can be a learning experience.

You're not seeing the big picture. In regards to your life as a whole, jogging IS the rut.

<TbillR@running.net> wrote in message news:u4uupv8o617beougt9o188qjeqbftsnicn@4ax.com...

> I know exactly how you feel, happens to me every year.

Wobbot, this is what we medical chaps call 'your period'. It means that you're more likely than ever
to be possessed by an overwhelming urge to adopt multiple personalities, make countless newsgroup
postings, and become totally obsessed over the dashing personalities (yes, like *mine*) of those
with whom you correspond.

> I've found as I got older that it's better to just take a few months off
during this nasty time of year.

Isn't it usually your ISP that forces this upon you?

> I use an eliptical trainer in my off months

Keeps the wrist action supple, no?

> I've found it takes very little transition when I return to the trails in
the spring.

True. You're a wnaker indoors and a wnaker outdoors. $5 to the first person who can spot the
difference.

Roger.

On 29 Oct 2003 00:35:54 -0800, touho3@excite.com (Anders Lustig) wrote:

> had one such moment - lasting maybe twenty minutes:-) - on Saturday in snowfall, two inches of it
> already on the ground and more coming down against my face and slowly melting on my clothes, the
> landscape almost monochromatic between the darkgray of the low cloud ceiling and the white of the
> snow; it was a weather in which only dog-walkers would venture out (and in the two hours I saw
> only one other runner), yet in spite - or because:-) - of the adverse conditions I began to enjoy
> myself and at one point it was as if my eye-sight suddenly became clearer: the green of the fir
> trees and the yellowbrown of the birch leaves still hanging on the branches appeared more
> luminous, the whole landscape was somehow more *present* - and so was I, in a very intense, yet
> completely unwilled way.
>
>Gosh, whatever it was, it was over in about twenty minutes anmd the rest of the run was uneventful,
>except for the snow seeping through the jacket before I got home.

You had a stroke. Get to a Dr immediately.

On Wed, 29 Oct 2003 12:06:02 -0000, "apusapus" <apusapus@clara.co.uk> wrote:

>K, I won't run in the rain, but I realise that's God's way of telling me I need a rest day.
>
Allow me to clarify my original statement. It rains everyday here, so I average 364 days of rest.

Frasier

"Globaldisc" <globaldisc@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20031029083626.28070.00000306@mb-m27.aol.com...

> for me it's meditative time, a time/place where i can obtain clarity of
mind

Thank God you have someplace where you achieve this. It sure as hell isn't Usenet if your posts are
anything to go by.

> and contemplate all matters in my life...derive solutions, decisions, etc.

One rarely 'derives' a solution. It's possible in the mathematical or scientific world, but fairly
uncommon in the real. One is more likely to 'arrive at' or 'deduce' or 'ascertain' or 'come to'.

> It's a time to reinforce and reaffirm who i try to be

Ah! There's you problem! The place to do that is in the Real World, not drifting around in the
airy-fairy world inside your head.

> (a person of perseverence who can press on, mental focus, discipline,
etc.)

Alternatively....a person who finds himself in untenable positions yet seeks to re-reinforce them
rather than find more solid ground, an individual who cannot retain one concept without bastardising
it somehow, a person who lacks the focus of a day-old kitten.

> When I'm thinking/feeling non-enthusiastic, non-motivated.....I remind
myself
> the world stops for no one.

Neither do those damn 10 minute milers.

> I can choose to go forward or not.

No you can't. Those ten-minute milers are blocking your way.

> Winston Churchill said it best, "If you're going through hell, keep
going".

Pah! He was the King of carefully managed soundbites.

Roger.

In article <RtQnb.229$ss.5831@bcandid.telisphere.com>,
"Brian Jones" <firstpres@turtlecreek.net> wrote:

> Cam:
>
> I often have this problem in the fall. This year I have just finished my first marathon (Oct. 3)
> and I was not all that happy with the results, so I am working on some different things to keep me
> interested.
>
> I, too, prefer running with as little clothing as possible, so the prospect of jackets, gloves,
> etc. is a little disheartening. But this morning I got up and we had a couple of inches of snow,
> to my (and the weatherman's) surprise. That's the kind of thing that makes sub-freezing and windy
> conditions acceptable for a run.
>
> Anyway, a couple of ideas. First, maybe it is time to take a few weeks off. It can't be the worst
> thing in the world. And I don't mean like the last 2 weeks, where you run once in a while and then
> feel guilty about not running the rest of the time. This would be a planned sabbatical. Use it to
> recharge.
>
> Second idea: Sign up for a race. I am probably the least competitive man I know, but even I get
> excited when there is a race looming in the future.
>
> Good luck.
>
> Brian Jones

some good ideas there, Brian. yeah, i usually go thru a little of this mood whenever fall hits,
darkness falls earlier, and so on. in the past, i've been able to work thru it. i guess the stress
of my recent move just threw yet another monkey wrench into the equation for me.

time off? i'm thinking you may be right. i've never planned a sabbatical from running. the only time
i've ever taken off was due to injury, and then i was right back at it as soon as i could.

a goal of mine is to work much more on my swimming so that the swim leg of triathlons won't seem so
hard for me. i believe i'll make that my focus for a while, perhaps swimming a few times per week
for a bit, then will scale back a bit on that when i feel i'm ready to run again, and can maintain
more balance throughout the winter.

thanks for the thoughts,

Cam

--
Not every race can be a perfect experience, but every race can be a learning experience.

In article <20031029083626.28070.00000306@mb-m27.aol.com>, globaldisc@aol.com (Globaldisc) wrote:

> imo you need to re-justify why you run, redefine your purpose. maybe you won't, maybe you will.
> perhaps a transition into something else is warranted at this time in your life. my running is not
> contingent on the climate and the last thing i think about whilst running is "running". for me
> it's meditative time, a time/place where i can obtain clarity of mind and contemplate all matters
> in my life...derive solutions, decisions, etc. I must make. It's a time to reinforce and reaffirm
> who i try to be (a person of perseverence who can press on, mental focus, discipline, etc.)
>
> When I'm thinking/feeling non-enthusiastic, non-motivated.....I remind myself the world stops for
> no one. I can choose to go forward or not. Winston Churchill said it best, "If you're going
> through hell, keep going".
>
> You might be choosing to go forward in a different direction....from running to another personally
> fulfilling endeavor.
>
> Andrew....
>
>

well, i know i still love running, but i just don't want to do it much right now. i wouldn't say i
now dislike it or anything. things just feels like a blue funk that is depriving me of the joy that
i usually feel before, during and after a run.

yes, i have some other goals, somewhat related to running. swimming and triathlon are among them.
perhaps swimming can take the lead for a while. we'll see.

thanks,

Cam

--
Not every race can be a perfect experience, but every race can be a learning experience.