I think I've lost my racing mojo :(

[mrsj]

I need someone to talk me off of a ledge! I have LOVED racing for the last 2 years. I love the rush of excitement and the desire to push myself beyond my limits. But so far I've done two races this year and both of them have completely sucked. I did every training run and felt decent or great throughout most of it... but on race day everything seems to be going downhill

Both of these races were long distance (25K and a 1/2), and I felt like I had zero energy... no excitement... just wishing the race was over! I can't help but feel totally disappointed in myself. I have NEVER walked so much in a single run as I did in these two races! The 1/2 I did yesterday was an extremely difficult course for me, but if I'm honest with myself - I knew it was over for me before we even got close to the tough parts...

Has anyone gone through something similar? I feel so bummed and just want to enjoy my favorite thing to do - again! I'm lacking energy, excitement, and feel as if I've done zero training on race day! And the last two races in did in 2011 were awesome! I did a 10 mile and 1/2, and I felt light as a feather and full of energy and excitement... I'm so frustrated right now...

[joenali]

Sometimes it's hard. In the midst of a half-ironman last year I wanted to throw my bike in a ditch and walk back to the start. I hated most of my moments on my bike during that race. It was hard. Races are hard, no matter what distance.

What keeps me doing it is how I feel after. Usually "wow, I did it, when's the next one?"

I also take a break from triathlons after the season for a couple of months and do things that I can't do during training. Take classes at the gym, sleep in, do different kinds of races,etc. When pre-season training starts, I feel refreshed, a little out of shape, but ready to do it all again!

If you feel like you are not liking it right now, take a break. Try something new and I bet when you are ready to go back you'll know!

I think it happens to everyone.

[agrippa]

I haven't run any super long races, but that is kind of how I felt after my 15K in December. I have been running 10ks and below this year and it is fun again. I love trying to go fast, and knowing that the race is just too darn short to be a long slog. Maybe you just need to change it up for a while.

[InBetweenDays]

Hasn't happened to me (yet) but it did to my sister. We've run a few 1/2 marathons together. She did great during one, and the following year we ran the Chicago 1/2. She had a horrid run. Didn't think she would finish, I stayed with her and we walked a good portion of it, and finished about 10 minutes after her time from the previous year. She was really bummed and was hesitant to sign up for another race. She doesn't know for sure what the issue was, but she had tried a new more aggressive training program. So we signed up for another race and she went back to her old training program. At our next half she PR'd, taking almost 18 minutes off the time of the horrid race.

I think it's completely normal to go through a slump. I'd say just stick with it (push yourself some to keep going - but also take it easy if you're not feeling it) and I'm sure you'll get your mojo back.

[justthetip]

I totally lost my mojo after battling knee problems for awhile. I was forcing myself to do it and I hated every minute of it. I took a long break and did other things I enjoy, and it felt so good when I finally decided I was in the mood to run again.

[stingsharkruns]

so take a break. racing =/= running. You can run just to run... OR, just take a break from running.period. and pick up something else for a little bit. After our last race season, I was burnt out. I took a week off running, and then ran around 10 mpw for about a month. Now, i'm feeling better and ready to get back into the swing of things.

[mrsj]

Thanks, everyone! I think sometimes you just can't give running a decent effort on certain days, no matter how much you want to! And it just sucks that two of those days just so happened to be long distance racing days... I was originally planning on doing a marathon this fall, but these last two races have pretty much cemented the fact that I am not interested in training and having an 'off' day for 26.2 miles. I know I wouldn't have been able to go that far on either of those days!

I'm going to try to focus more on shorter races, since I really don't have any longer ones planned until September... Hopefully I can pull it together the next time I get out on a race course! Or I may need to take a hiatus and just start running to run and not to race... However, I'm just still so irritated that my training runs have had paces about 2 minutes faster than the 1/2 from yesterday, not fair!

[gt7301b]

Mix things up. My sport of choice is ice skating. I've lived in DC for 4 years, had 4 different coaches, and had just about given up on skating. Recently I joined an adult group class that I hadn't joined because it interferes with my Wednesday nights, that was the best thing I could have done for my skating. I had put off joining this class forever, but I started thinking about what it is that I really like about skating, and it is the friends I made through a group class when I started. The coach isn't even that great, but having people around to push me really helps and I have made a ton of progress in the last eight weeks.

[sadlebred]

All.The.Time! At least once a year or so (keep in mind that I race 25 times in a big year). It's hard to keep going sometimes. This year is one of those years. I've hardly raced. That will change a bit in the next few weeks as some of the summer's races on my favorite mountain bike courses are between last week and mid-July. I'm going into them with a different attitude that I will have fun riding some of my favorite trails and not look upon them as races. It worked last week with me getting a third place. There is NOTHING wrong with needed a break!

I'd try to find something else to focus on. A new activity, new hobby, cross training, something like that to keep it fresh.