September always feels like a bit of a reset.
The summer holidays are over, routines start to return and many of us start thinking about getting back into running, the gym and generally feeling a little more like ourselves again.
But what if your running confidence has disappeared over the summer?
Maybe your usual 5K feels harder than it used to. Maybe your pace has dropped. Or perhaps you've simply lost your motivation to get out the door.
I've been there too. My own running reset
I recently had to take some time out from running after having an operation.
I found it frustrating. I enjoy running and had been working towards improving my times, so suddenly having to stop felt like I'd lost some of the progress I'd made.
But the break also made me realise how much pressure I'd been putting on myself.
I'd become focused on my pace, my distance and whether I was getting faster. Running had started to feel like something I needed to achieve rather than something I did because I enjoyed it.
Coming back has reminded me of something important.
Getting back into running after a break
If you're returning to running after time away, don't expect your first run to feel like your best run.
Start where you are now.
Try a shorter run, slow your pace down or mix running with walking. Leave the pressure of your old times behind for a while and concentrate on getting comfortable again.
Your first goal doesn't need to be a faster 5K.
It could simply be getting out for 20 minutes and enjoying it.
Take the pressure off
I think this is something so many of us do, we turn something we enjoy into another thing we feel we have to be good at. Your pace doesn't define how successful your run was.
Maybe you were tired. Maybe you've had time off. Maybe you're rebuilding your fitness. That's life and if you finish a run feeling better than when you started, I'd call that a win.
Find your running motivation again
Make getting back into running enjoyable.
Run somewhere you love. Listen to your favourite playlist. Go with a friend. Leave your watch at home occasionally.
And don't compare your comeback to someone else's.
Your running journey is yours.
This autumn, I'm trying to remember that too. I still want to improve and I'll still get excited about a faster time, but I don't want every run to be measured by a number.
Sometimes progress is simply finding your confidence again.
So if you've had a summer away from running, don't worry about where you think you should be.
Start where you are. Move at your own pace. And give yourself permission to reset.
Because movement should make you feel stronger, not give you another reason to put pressure on yourself.
Find strength in movement, not perfection.
