Sometimes when it comes to running, we are our own worst enemy. At the end of the day, isn’t running something we do for fun? Aside from the few who go on to do it professionally, most of us do it for fun. Of course, that doesn’t mean you can’t have large dreams it just means that we can’t take it too seriously.

We all have our own pitfalls. No matter how many years or how much experience we have with running we all do them in one way or another. It’s nothing to be ashamed of, but it is something that is important to watch for be aware of.

So, what do running pitfalls look like? Here’s some of mine:

Putting Too Much Focus on the Workout

I’ve always focused way too much on workouts. I put unnecessary pressure on myself, which ultimately causes the fun to be taken out of the run.

In the end, what is the worst that can happen? You don’t hit the workout? I’ve been there, done that, and I am still here to tell you it is not the end of the world. You aren’t going to hit every single one, some are going to be great, some are going to be awful, but that is just the nature of the beast.

Forgetting What EASY Means

Easy running is something that so many get wrong, one of them is often myself. Every now and again I will find myself starting to push my easy pace. Some days easy for me is 8:30 and some days it is 9:30 and often I forget that it really doesn’t matter.

This was my easy run on Sunday. 

No matter how many times I will tell myself this quickly and without even thinking about it I will find myself wanting to push it harder. The whole purpose of the easy days is letting your body recover.

This is something that I still to do this day have to constantly remind myself of.

Forgetting the Other Stuff

The one good thing about having a coach is that they won’t let you forget the importance of the small things. Not only does my training plan each week have my running scheduled in, but also strides, running drills, and strength work.

Even though it’s scheduled in, I still find myself not wanting to do it some days. Who really wants to finish a hard workout and then go do strength work? It’s not fun but these are the little things that mean the most when your body starts to get tired at mile 22.

Belittling Your Accomplishments

Sometimes when you’re married to someone who is so fast, you often begin to belittle your own accomplishments. My husband has had to remind me this several times. Even though I’m at a different level, I still have come a long way and worked hard to get there.

Sometimes we can be our own worst enemies and it’s always important to remember just how far you’ve come. This is what I have to remind myself especially on those hard days.

Thinking Too Far Ahead

Getting to your goals takes accomplishing one day at a time. You aren’t going to be ready for your goal today, so why sit there and think about it? Or think about your goal 3 marathons from now?

The truth is we aren’t sure what is going to happen tomorrow. All we can simply do is focus on the here and now and the run we have before us. I am very guilty of stressing about the race that I’m not even ready for yet.

All we can determine is today’s run. I work hard at focusing on one day at a time.

These are things that I focus each day on making sure don’t get ahead of myself. These take the joy out of running and to me that is the most important thing of all!

What is one of your running pitfalls?