Getting past a running slump

The fix depends on the cause, so check this first. Boredom feels like reluctance before the run. Overtraining, or just too much life stress on top of training, feels like heaviness during the run and tiredness the rest of the day.

If tiredness or low mood lasts more than a couple of weeks despite rest, see a doctor. It can be a sign of illness, low iron, poor sleep or depression, and all of those are worth checking.

• You finished a goal. The week after a race or a medal is often the flattest of the year.
• The novelty wore off. Weeks three to eight of a new habit are when most people drift.
• The season changed. Dark evenings in November and hot afternoons in July both make runs harder to start.
• Progress stalled. Big early gains slow down, and the same loop stops feeling like an achievement.
• Life got busier. A new job, a new baby or a move can take the time and the energy at once.

• Try a new route, or drive to a new park or trail at the weekend. New scenery is the cheapest fix there is.
• Leave the watch at home for a run and go by feel. Some slumps are really number fatigue.
• Switch activity for a week. Cycling, swimming and hiking all count on X Challenge, and your legs get a break.
• Ask a friend along, or join a group run once. Being expected somewhere does a lot of the work.
• Run at a different time of day. A morning run in quiet streets feels nothing like a crowded evening loop.
• Set a new goal with a date and a clear reward. Write the finish date where you will see it.
• Sign up for something with other people in it, such as a local 5K or a shared virtual challenge.

Motivation lasts longer when it is tied to something you care about, not just a number. Take two minutes and finish these sentences on paper: I started running because… When a run goes well, I feel… In a year, I want running to give me… The answers are often more personal than a pace or a distance. More energy for your kids. A clear head after work. Proof to yourself that you finish things.

Then match your next goal to that reason. If running is your thinking time, a long, gentle challenge fits better than a speed target. If you love a finish line, pick something short with a date. If you run for company, plan around people.

If the table above points to overtraining, rest is the fix. Take two to four days off running, sleep as much as you can, and eat enough. Then come back with short, easy runs for a week before you add anything. See rest days and sleep for runners. If you still feel drained after a couple of weeks of lighter training, see a doctor.

When you do not feel like running, the worst outcome is a long gap. A ten-minute run, or even a walk around the block in your running shoes, keeps the cue and the routine in place. A well-known habit study from University College London found that a single missed day barely mattered, but a string of misses lowered how automatic the habit became. So on low days, aim for the smallest session that still counts.

• The ten-minute rule: go out for ten minutes. If you want to stop after that, stop.
• The shoes-on rule: put your running shoes on and step outside. Decide there.
• The one-loop rule: run your shortest loop once. Anything extra is a bonus.

In much of the US, motivation follows the weather. Short, dark days from November to February and humid heat from June to August are when most runners drift. Plan for them instead of fighting them.

• Winter: move runs to lunchtime or weekends, add a light and a reflective layer, and see winter running tips and running in the dark.
• Summer: run early, slow down, and carry water. See running in the heat.
• Any season: a treadmill session counts the same toward a challenge. See treadmill virtual runs.

Behavioral scientists call this temptation bundling: you save a treat for while you exercise. In a 2014 study, people who could only listen to gripping audiobooks at the gym went 51% more often than a control group at first, though the effect faded over the weeks, especially after Thanksgiving. Try saving a podcast series, a playlist or an audiobook for runs only. Expect it to give you a boost for a few weeks, not forever, and swap the treat when it wears off.

When everything feels like a chore, shrink the week until it feels easy, then build back up. The rule is to keep the days and lower the effort. That keeps the habit alive.

A new medal is often enough of a reason. If short runs feel stale, try KYLIN, 88 km in 68 days. That works out at about 1.3 km a day, roughly a 15-minute walk. If you want something short and sharp instead, LOKI is 5 km in 7 days. See also collecting medals as motivation and how to set a running goal.

• How long does a running slump last? Usually a few weeks. Changing one thing and lowering the bar tends to shorten it.
• Should I force myself to run? Go out for ten minutes. If you still feel awful, go home. Most days you will keep going.
• Is it fine to take a week off? Yes. A short break costs little fitness, and coming back fresh often fixes the slump.
• What if I have lost interest in everything, not just running? That is worth talking to a doctor about. See running for mental health.

• Milkman, Minson and Volpp, Holding the Hunger Games Hostage at the Gym, Management Science, 2014
• How to form a habit, The Psychologist (British Psychological Society), on Lally and colleagues’ 2010 study