Should I Go Run on a Bad Day?
Tips on deciding whether to get out of the door
Not every day feels like a run day. Whether it’s because of a bad day at the office, a discussion with someone that escalated, or the weather not being welcoming, there are many reasons that can make me skip a run.
But should I? Here are some points I use to make the right decision.
Make it the one success of your day
Sometimes, running can be the antidote to a bad day. Indeed, if nothing worked out the way I wanted, I know that I can have at least one tiny success in my day if I go for a run. In my experience, some runs I did not want to do ended up being very beneficial — they cleared my mind and allowed me to reset and enjoy the rest of the day.
“Make your bed.”
I am an early riser. Well, it’s relatively speaking, but compared to my friends I am. I have the opportunity to run early in the morning. There is very little chance my day is already bad right when I wake up! Specifically for shorter, easy runs, I believe this is a very effective way of avoiding this issue altogether.
Moreover, it makes my day start on a positive note — no matter what happens next, I already accomplished something! It’s akin to making your bed in the morning.
“If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed.”
If you want to change your day, start off by going for a run.
Listen to your body
When I am running too much for my current ability, it ends up affecting my mood. It’s important to acknowledge that “not wanting to go” can be a sign of mental or physical fatigue. It is on me to be able to distinguish laziness from actual physiological signals.
Physical fatigue
For normal people, this should be easy to diagnose. For runners though, it’s usually more difficult. I purposefully put my body in discomfort so that it can improve — being tired is part of the training. It comes down to experience; I know my body better now than two years ago, and hopefully worse than two years from now. I have become more aware of my own limits and I make better decisions regarding my training. Going on that extra jog can be detrimental if it leads to injury.
Mental fatigue
Training for an event that I care about creates mental fatigue. This adds to my overall stress that is built from other aspects of my life. My motivation can take a hit and it’s not the end of the world. I don’t want to burn out so I need to balance my mental load and accept taking a step back when necessary. It will reduce my stress and give me extra motivation for the next run.
These are just a few ways I determine whether or not to go for a run when I’m having a bad day. How do you get yourself out of the door when you’re not feeling up to a run? Or how do you know when to take that extra rest day?
