When "just go run" doesn't work

A runner I coach ran a marathon a few weeks ago.

Before that, he was training 14 hours a week. Consistent. Dialed in. The kind of runner who doesn't miss sessions.

After the race, I gave him three weeks completely off. He went skiing — a proper break, different movement, no running. Perfect.

The week after he was back home. Free to ease into training however he liked. No pressure, no plan. Just do whatever felt right.

The outcome?

He barely did anything.

Not because he was lazy. Not because he didn't want to run. But because without a clear structure, he just... didn’t know where start.

Every day became a negotiation with himself. "Maybe I'll go later." "I'm not really feeling it." "I'll get back into it tomorrow."

Sound familiar?

The uncomfortable in-between

Getting back into rhythm after time off is always rough.

Paces feel harder than you remember.

Intervals feel endless.

Easy runs feel boring.

Your body hasn't forgotten how to run — but your mind has forgotten why it felt easy.

And here's the trap most runners fall into:

"I'll just head out and see how I feel."

It sounds reasonable. Flexible. Low pressure.

But it almost always backfires.

Because when you're already struggling with motivation, "see how I feel" usually means cutting runs short, skipping sessions, or not heading out at all.

You stay stuck in that uncomfortable phase longer.

Structure beats motivation

The fastest way through? Stop relying on how you feel.

Make a plan. Something simple. Three or four runs for the week, with rough distances or times. Write it down.

Then commit to it — even when motivation is low.

I'm not talking about jumping back into hard training. I'm talking about removing the daily decision of whether to run.

When the plan says Tuesday is a 30-minute easy run, you don't have to decide if you feel like running on Tuesday. You just go.

I dealt with this too, more than once.

Honestly, the past few weeks have been rough for me as well.

I had every reason to run. I know all the right things. But some days, I just couldn't get out the door.

What helped was having something on paper that told me what to do — so I didn't have to think about it.

Once you're back in rhythm, training stops feeling like a chore. The motivation comes back. But you have to get through the messy middle first.

Structure is what carries you through.

A few things that help

1. Lower the bar for the first week

Don't try to pick up where you left off. Start with runs that feel almost too easy. The goal is consistency, not fitness.

2. Plan your week in advance

Decide when you'll run before Monday starts. Put it in your calendar. Treat it like an appointment you can't skip.

3. Find some accountability

Tell someone your plan. A friend, a training partner, a coach. Knowing someone will ask "did you run today?" changes the equation.

4. Accept that it will feel hard

You're not starting from zero, but you're also not where you were. That's okay. Accepting your current fitness level is the quickest way to make gains again.

If you've been stuck in that "I should run but I just can't" phase, you're not alone.

Sometimes the missing piece isn't motivation — it's a plan and someone to keep you honest.

I work with runners on exactly this: building structure, staying accountable, and getting through the messy parts of training. If you want help getting back on track, feel free to reach out.

Thank you for reading,

Tim 👟