The Running Thread --2025

[Dopey 2020]

I'm officially an ultra-marathoner! 50k trail run race report here

Awesome! Congratulations!

 

[FFigawi]

I am a sucker for trying products. I was reading about BASE Performance salt. Instead of take a tab or pill, it's like Fun Dip, LOL. Lick your finger/thumb, cover the container with it so that the salt sticks to your finger, then lick it off. Ordered some to try on my runs and long bike rides.

It's great stuff! I carry a tube of it during every marathon. Four licks per hour is about right for me. It's tougher to use while cycling, which is why I use PF&H tablets on the bike leg.

 

[PrincessV]

Question for the fellow marathoners/Dopes out there: has anyone else experienced chronic mental burnout/fatigue on the longer training runs? I mean, it happens to everyone sometimes, even the elite runners (which I am very much not). But this year for some reason as I'm starting to ramp up the miles for Dopey '26 I'm having a hard time getting motivated for long run days across the board.

If I'm doing 5 miles or less, no problem. I can cruise all the way with no issues because I know I'll be done in less than an hour. In the 7-8 range I start to get testy but I can usually power through. Once the planned run gets into double digits though I just have a hard time making myself go, and even when I do get out there, I've often quit at 4-5 miles not because I'm physically tired, but because my brain can't stop thinking about how much farther I have to go and how much time it will take. Such thoughts eventually knock me out of my zone and I just lose focus and quit.

It's completely mental I'm (almost) sure. I've tried changing up my routes, going to different locations, with music, without music, etc etc. But no matter what I try I still just get daunted by the idea of being out there for hours. Maybe because this will be my third Dopey and I don't have the "first time" motivation of conquering a goal?

I don't know, it's starting to get to me and the miles/hours haven't even gotten "serious" yet. Any thoughts or suggestions from this extremely helpful community are welcome.

For me, the training runs - and especially the long ones - were my favorite part of marathon/Dopey training. Even when they sucked due to weather, fatigue, or pain, I’d be happy to be doing them. So when that changed and they started to feel like a chore, it was a surprise. I pushed through for another couple years of extra-long distance training, but it never improved: I just wasn’t enjoying it anymore. So I stopped registering for long distance races, muddled through training for those I’d already committed to, and then dropped to 6 miles as my longest training runs… and found my joy again. I look forward to every run again and am happy to build mileage to ready for a 10-miler or half.

This isn’t necessarily the case for you and I’m not suggested that it is, only offering my own experience. I didn’t know I was burned out mentally until I gave myself the space to find out.

 

[LSUlakes]

I just wanted to say that today was the first time in a long time where the humidity didnt feel crazy this morning. At 5:30AM it was 73 with a light north wind. Had a good run doing mile repeats as well. I hope it stays this was or continues to get better! Send all the cool fronts down NOW!!

 

[Fenway1970]

For me, the training runs - and especially the long ones - were my favorite part of marathon/Dopey training. Even when they sucked due to weather, fatigue, or pain, I’d be happy to be doing them. So when that changed and they started to feel like a chore, it was a surprise. I pushed through for another couple years of extra-long distance training, but it never improved: I just wasn’t enjoying it anymore. So I stopped registering for long distance races, muddled through training for those I’d already committed to, and then dropped to 6 miles as my longest training runs… and found my joy again. I look forward to every run again and am happy to build mileage to ready for a 10-miler or half.

This isn’t necessarily the case for you and I’m not suggested that it is, only offering my own experience. I didn’t know I was burned out mentally until I gave myself the space to find out.

Thanks, and yes this is very similar to what I am experiencing. I don't know that I'd say the long runs were ever my favorite part of training, but I never minded them to the point I am experiencing this year. I will say after this past Dopey I felt like I needed a break, which was also partially due to January and February being colder than normal here in PA where I live. I picked back up in the spring but nothing over 8 miles until recently. I didn't expect I'd have this much difficulty getting mentally back into the double digit runs needed for Dopey training.

Hoping I get it back, sounds like the only thing is to try to push through it.