Sean's Running Blog

Question: What signs lead you to feeling burned out? I kind of feel some of those same symptoms, where I feel I have to run. It almost a obsession, but I don't want to take a break and lose fitness to nail a better marathon time.

Smart move on your part, and if you did decide to do either fall marathon you would have done well.

Good luck with the XC season, we will miss you at TCM!

I don't love the marathon to just go run for the sake of running. I'm to the point now that I won't run a race that long unless I feel like I have a real shot to excel and do my best. I don't have that right now and as I result, I dread the thought of running 26 miles. Most probably have days where they are tired of running, but I have had several weeks of it and rather than permenantly do damage to my enjoyment of running, I'm going to back off. If I had "something to train for" it might be different. If it was the last race within the OT qualifying window, it would be different. But my thought was why go out and run a mediocre marathon, still have the same recovery period and travel all the way to MSP to do it.

I don't love the marathon enough to just go run for the sake of running. I'm to the point now that I won't run a race that long unless I feel like I have a real shot to excel and do my best. I don't have that right now and as I result, I dread the thought of running 26 miles. Most probably have days where they are tired of running, but I have had several weeks of it and rather than permenantly do damage to my enjoyment of running, I'm going to back off. If I had "something to train for" it might be different. If it was the last race within the OT qualifying window, it would be different. But my thought was why go out and run a mediocre marathon, still have the same recovery period and travel all the way to MSP to do it.

Thanks for your insight Sean that makes perfect sense. That's the way I felt this year. Last year I ran 6 marathons and I peaked pretty much at each one, but it's not the quality I wanted. This year I've bypassed ones that I've ran in the past to get quality times. It does make no sense to run a marathon if you don't expect to do your best and excel.

Now that being said I'm running SGM a little over a month from my hometown marathon hoping to do my best for the last one of the year, and then like you step back and lower the mileage.

Thanks again for your insight it helped me view my situation and the way I feel. With getting older and having a family it makes it tough each year.

I think two marathon's a year is what my new strategy will be.

One thing I forgot to mention, you have so much talent and have a lot going for you. Got for the OT in 2011 and really see what you can do. Thanks again.

Kory, Sean - I think the key for Sean to hit the new OTQ standard is to figure out why he cannot break 15:00 in a flat 5 K. 2:22 on a honest course while racing no faster than 15:30 in 5 Ks shows the marathon potential relative to 5 K speed is being sucked up pretty much to the limit.

Some thoughts on the common errors in trying to solve this problem (from experience, as I have tried to solve the same problem for years): a) it is not the lack of speed work b) it is not age c) it is not the lack of mileage. That makes it sound a bit hopeless, I know, but I believe there is a cure, it would just take a little bit of thinking of out the box. The key in discovering it is in the art of non-invasive measurement. You need to discover a non-fatiguing test that you can do daily that would accurately predict how fast you could have raced a 5 K that day. Then as you try different things perform that test during your daily run and see how they affect your 5 K ability. Right now I am leaning towards running one mile in 5:20 paying close attention to how I feel for that test for myself, but I think it is very much individual and will vary through seasons, and training focus even for the same runner.

Bummer you are not doing TCM this fall. I was hoping to run most of the race together. I think we have similar goals in mind for TCM. I think I will be racing for place instead of an actual time though. I hope to do well there. I know my training has been very consistent. Keep up the great work though.

I disagree with some of what your saying Sasha. Age does have a factor if I would have started younger running I would be a lot faster than when I've started at this age. I think trying to go anaerobic in every run is not the best thing either. But trying it often I agree with. To find some way to get faster for each individual runner will be different.

Sean,

I respect you for making the decision not to run SGM or TCM. Hopefully we will get to run together at another race. Best of luck with cross country.

Seth

Somehow I can't imagine doing a daily "self-test" would help Sean get over his burnout. That would add more stress/pressure. Sounds like he needs low key right now.