This year one of my goals was to run a spring marathon and a fall marathon. So, in December 2021, I signed up for Eugene Marathon, which is supposed to take place on May 1st, 2022. I have spent this year training for Eugene Marathon, building up mileage. I built it up to 36 miles per week. In March, I started noticing that I wasn’t recovering well. I changed my training routine, slept more, and ate nutritious food, but my performance plateaued, and I was constantly fatigued. I knew if I continued, I’d be either overtrained or will get injured. I have had both in 2021 and they put my training back instead of moving it forward. I realized the worst part of it all would be that I would lose the feeling of running joyfully.

Overtraining Symptoms

This time when the symptoms of overtraining came, I could recognize them right away. Some of the overtraining symptoms for me were.

• Persistent fatigue
• Legs felt heavy and tired
• Problem staying asleep
• Facial acne
• Hormonal imbalance

I decided against racing Eugene Marathon. I have never given up on a race unless I am injured. When I made the decision, I was sad. I thought I had failed somehow.

One of the reasons I pulled out from the race was the concern about an injury or overtraining, but the main reason I decided against it was because I was starting to lose the joy in my daily runs. I love this sport and want to continue running for years to come. I knew the only way to do that was to bring back the joy of running in my life.

I started to struggle mentally, dreading the workouts. I had put so much pressure on myself to improve my pace. I knew I didn’t want that. This sport has always brought me happiness and I wanted it to stay that way. Looking at my training logs, I knew I needed more training time to have a stronger running body. Specifically, I need speed endurance which will take some time to develop.

For the past two weeks, I have been running just to have fun. Reconnecting with the joy of running without any pressure of a race where I’m trying to get better has brought the experience of running joyfully back to me. I am running races but just to enjoy the experience of racing. With each mile I run I am grateful for what my body does. I celebrate small victories. My body has surprised me with some fast-paced runs, when I’m not even trying to go fast. See my Starva screenshot above.

How to Discover Running Joyfully

I am enjoying my recovery days and enjoying every minute on the road. Instead of obsessing about the future and stressing that I’m not fast enough. I am focusing on small changes like improving my form, improving my breathing, and improving nutrition.

I have learned from this experience that sometimes you hit low moments along your journey. It’s always a good idea to look back and see if you are still finding joy in your journey. If not, try to bring the fun back by renewing your commitment.

Now when I run, I run in the mile I’m in. I try to find peace and tranquility in each mile. I am glad I have found the joy of running again.