Currently pulling myself out of a slump and...

...it hasn’t been easy. January, for all of us I feel, was a rough month. In many different ways, we’re all experiencing the same thing - hurt, frustration, sadness, low points.

And it's been interesting, because I've usually turned to running whenever I've been going through something or feeling kind of down. And this time, that just hasn't been the case.

For 2025, I’d set quite a few running goals - probably more than I should have - and I'm pretty sure I've been experiencing burnout.

Last year, my goals included:

• Running at least 1 mile every day for 365 days 

• Running 1200 miles for the year

• Training for me first 100 miler race in March 2026

Had I run 50k when setting the 100 mile race goal? Nope.

Had I ever been that consistent with running, as in, running everyday? Never - honestly not sure if I've ever been that consistent with something. 

And then adding the “1200 mile club” goal to my list was a bit crazy, but since I was already running, I thought why not.

Well, I definitely completed one of those goals; that one being the “run a mile every day for 365 days”. The other two? Well…. You see….

I was on track to get 1200 miles, even though for most of the year, I was behind. I was about 60 miles behind, and really started cranking up the mileage around November. October had been a 172 mile month for me (or something like that); I had a marathon coming up and was just using that as training for my 100, and so I thought November would be another high mileage month. 

Well - wasn’t I wrong. I did the Huntsville Rocket City Marathon on November 14th, and it was both an amazing and horrible time. Amazing because Huntsville was pretty cool, I was with friends and we were all just trying to have a great time. Horrible, because it was like 16 degrees out… freaking freezing, and it like never warmed up.I don’t think I’ve ever been that cold, but I know I would not want to be that cold again. 

I was beyond ecstatic once that race was over, but my weekend wasn’t done yet since I had to drive to Atlanta for a certification class for my new job. I was incredibly late for my certification class (make sure you have the right address folks - everything in Atlanta is an hour away from Atlanta), and when I finally got there, it was packed with people. 

I finished the marathon, finished the class, headed home, and was getting ready for the rest of my week. And then boom - the flu shows up at my door. I can’t remember what strain I got, but it took me out for days. My whole body hurt, I was exhausted and tired, and had no energy to do anything. Yes, I still got my “1 mile a day” in, but I wished I hadn't been so obsessed with that goal because that week was rough.

Once I got sick, my weekly mileage tanked, and therefore, did not make the 1200 mile goal. I was exactly 60 miles short. 

And then when the new year rolled around, my 2025 goals came to a close and I just kind of lost the willpower to keep running. 

Mind you - I still do have a 100 mile race in March, and I am still planning on running it. 

But, it’s been really hard pushing past my mind and getting my body back moving. I’m not working at a running store anymore, which was my full time job before this new job, and I do think that has something to do with it. But I still watch a lot of running content online, I still talk with a lot of friends that are running. 

I’m not 100% sure why I’m babbling about all of this but for some reason, I feel it’s important. Maybe you, reading this, are also going through some sort of slump or burn out, and you’re trying to find your willpower again.

And, I think my purpose right now is to tell you that things are going to work out, and that things are going to be alright. 

We’ve entered February now, and basically halfway through at this point. The weather is starting to get warmer, and the sun is starting to come out more. I’ve been hearing the birds sing louder each growing day, and pretty soon flowers will start blossoming, and trees won’t be so bare.

Let’s pick ourselves back up, and push through this barrier around us. If you have to do affirmations, pray, wake up at 5am and have an hour to yourself in the mornings - do whatever it is you need to do, to feel like you again.

Sure the grass may be greener on the other side, but yours can be green too…

You just have to make it so.