The Runner’s World Guide to Getting Out of a Training Slump
Running slumps can be unexpected, discouraging, and frustrating. When you hit a slump, you may notice a decline in physical performance, such as a slower pace, increased fatigue, or a lower VO2 max. Your mental well-being may also take a hit. Difficulty focusing, feeling emotionally drained, and changes in mood, motivation, or appetite may all signal mental exhaustion.
A slump looks different for every runner, but it doesn’t have to last forever. By recognizing the signs and giving yourself time to reset, you can gradually rediscover your rhythm—and your love of running.
How to Recognize Burnout
Recognizing a slump is the first step toward moving through it. Burnout can take many forms. Typically, it follows a long stretch of training or a big race, but it can also feel like it came out of nowhere.
Common signs of burnout include:
- Recurring injuries: Persistent stress fractures, muscle strains, or other running-related injuries
- Changes in mood: Frequent feelings of sadness, irritability, apathy, overwhelm, or low confidence
- Unusual fatigue: Feeling more tired than usual despite maintaining your normal sleep, nutrition, and recovery habits
- Anxiety around running: Experiencing excessive pressure or stress about completing a run, maintaining a certain pace, or reaching a mileage goal
- Loss of enjoyment: Dreading runs that you once looked forward to or feeling disconnected from the sport
As irritating as burnout can be, it’s likely your body and mind’s way of asking for a break. Rest is essential for every runner, even though it can be difficult to know when to pause and reset.
Coming Back From a Break
Rest is an important part of every runner’s training—not a failure or setback. Even when you think you’re ready to return, lacing up your shoes may still feel surprisingly difficult.
Avoid putting pressure on yourself or expecting to resume exactly where you left off. There is no universal timeline for a running break. Listen to your body, begin with short and easy efforts, and increase your activity gradually.
A great way to return to running is by finding a training plan and following it. A training plan is an excellent tool for building both fitness and consistency. You can also alternate running with walk intervals as you rebuild your routine by utilizing a nine-step return to running plan or a guide geared specifically toward consistency. That way, there is no pressure to train for a race, and the training plan is simply a method for getting back into running again.
A Training Plan to Help You Come Back
Read More: A Training Plan for Consistency
Read More: The Best Return-to-Running Plan
Read More: How to Adjust Your Schedule After a Big Race
Read More: How to Adjust Your Schedule After a Big Race
Read More: How to Adjust Your Schedule After a Big Race
Surviving the Seasons
Seasonal changes can affect both performance and motivation, especially if you live somewhere with extra hot summers or really frigid winters. Just stepping outside in extreme weather can feel difficult—let alone running in it for an extended period of time.
Make sure to adjust your pace and expectations to match the conditions. Run during the mildest part of the day, dress appropriately, and stay hydrated. When outdoor conditions are unsafe or unappealing, the treadmill can be a great alternative.
Making Running Fun Again
Running can begin to feel repetitive after a while, especially when every workout follows the same route, pace, or mileage. Bringing novelty back into your routine can help you reconnect with the sport.
Explore a new route, run with a friend, leave your watch at home, or listen to a new
podcast or artist. If you’re used to exclusively running on the road, maybe try trail running. Not every workout needs to serve a training goal—sometimes, just enjoying your run is enough.
Finding Your Motivation
Rekindling your motivation—or “finding your why”—is an optimal way out of a running slump. Everyone’s reason for running is different. It might be to clear your mind, connect with others, lose weight, or a way to feel stronger, healthier, or more confident.
Your reason doesn’t have to be dramatic, and it may change over time. Sometimes, all it takes is remembering why you started running in the first place.
A few ways to make running feel rewarding again include:
- Join a running group: Build accountability and meet some new running buddies who can offer encouragement
- Start a run streak: Challenge yourself to stay consistent with running by starting a streak. Just remember to start small and remain flexible in your goal.
- Create a new playlist: A few new songs can make a familiar route more exciting.
- Sign up for a fun race: Choose a low-pressure event that gives you something fun to look forward to.
- Practice mindfulness: Pay attention to your breathing, surroundings, and how your body feels rather than focusing only on pace or distance.
A running slump doesn’t mean you should stop running forever. Give yourself permission to rest, adjust your expectations, and return gradually. Motivation may not reappear all at once, but with time and patience, running can start to feel rewarding again.
Casey Healey has been running for 11 years and brings that firsthand experience to the Runner’s World team as a summer 2026 editorial intern. Hailing from Scranton, PA, Casey is now a rising senior at Villanova University, where she plans to graduate with a degree in Communications. She also serves as Co-Sports Editor of her school newspaper, The Villanovan. Outside of running, she enjoys skiing, iced coffee, and walking her mini schnauzer, Winnie.