How to Quit Long Distance Running
Tips to Stay Positive and Maintain Your Fitness
No runner expects to have to stop, but sometimes--for medical or other reasons--it happens. Here's how to maintain sanity and forge a new path to fitness.
Ok, so the thing you dreaded has happened, and you’ve had to give up long-distance running. Now what are you going to do?
For most long-distance runners, their sport is more than a way of keeping fit. It’s a lifestyle. But there is a life beyond running, and it doesn’t mean turning into a couch potato. Here are some tips for making the transition.
1. Deal with your “grief.” OK, so having to quit running is not on a par with losing a loved one or a divorce. But it is a significant event. If you are being forced to stop for medical reasons, you may have a couple of extra sources of stress. The good news is that you can do something about it. According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, “how we perceive a stress-provoking event and how we react to it determines its impact on our health.” Give yourself permission to feel out of sorts and try to take the action necessary to relieve stress.
2. Sort out your social life. A lot of long-time distance runners associate mostly with friends who are runners. Many of these people will not know what to say when you announce that you’re giving up. They may not believe you. They may fear that, if someone as tough as you are has had to stop, the same thing may happen to them. You will need to give some friends time to adjust, and may need to consider broadening your social circle.
3. Work out what you are missing by not running. What benefits did you gain from those years on the road? Mostly health and fitness, mental clarity, or are you a competitor by nature? Are you someone who likes to have a long-term goal (such as a marathon) to work towards?
4. Choose some new activities that will permit you to achieve your goals. Many runners will have been introduced to various forms of cross-training over the years. One or several of these—for example, swimming or cycling—may be appropriate, and possible, now. It may be time to explore activities outside endurance sport, such as Pilates, yoga or weight training.
5. Set some goals. These goals should be achievable, and should relate to the benefits you used to gain from running. For example, if your running was geared to completing events such as half-marathons, 20-minute indoor rows are not going to keep you happy. Set a goal of, say, rowing a 10-kilometre race, and get yourself a programme.
6. Be patient. Doing anything outside your comfort zone is hard, and taking up an entirely new sport is really hard. In many cases, for example, swimming, you will need to learn good technique before you are anywhere near efficient enough to gain the aerobic benefits of running. The environment may be different—many runners, for example, have never set foot in a gym. Be proud of the improvements you make, and don’t expect to be a champion in your new sport right away.
It is possible to again feel as fit and fulfilled as you did when long-distance running. All you have to do is refocus your determination and discipline. With a bit of a shift in thinking, your life beyond running may be even better.
