Sticking with running after graduation

Despite our best intentions, so many of us runners fall into a running rut after graduation. Whether you’re moving on from high school or your university or college team, it can be hard to stick with the sport. That makes sense. Running takes on a different shape when you’ve moved on from the school team. There’s less of a rigid workout schedule, there’s no coach to hold you accountable and, if you skip a workout, you’re not disappointing teammates. If you stick with running, the responsibility is on you. You have to get out for runs on your own and if you’re away from old teammates that can be tough. You have to find a club or track down a workout plan. As for the race scheduling, that’s your domain now aswell.

It’s no wonder many runners quit after school is over. But if that’s not your style, there are some things you can do to make sure running is part of your life for good.

If you’re feeling a bit burnt-out: take a break. The pressure is off now. If you take a break and have no expectations for your running, you will come back to it naturally when you’re ready. If the school team pushed you to the point where you’re sick of running, just give yourself some time. When you come back, you’ll know it’s because you want to.

If you’re feeling a bit more up to keep it going:

Find a new club right away so that the transition is more natural. This way you won’t have time to fall into that dangerous running rut. You’re already used to meeting a group multiple times a week so make the switch before you break the habit. Some runners feel shy signing up for a club if they fear not being able to keep up with the pack. You won’t have this problem if you join them right away.

Sign up for a race and don’t let fitness dip. This is a great way to stay motivated, stay on track and take your mind off of the sadness of leaving your much-loved team. This tip is for the runner who doesn’t want to take time off but is maybe enjoying solo running for the time being.

Focus on health and lifestyle aspects of running, because competition is not the only highlight of the sport. This is an alternative to taking a break for the runner who is a little burnt-out from the performance-based training but still genuinely loves the sport. Running has an immense number of physical and mental health benefits. So focus on those if you’re sick of racing. It’s hard to slack when you know you’re doing it for your physical and emotional well-being.

Invest in motivational reading material for the times you need a boost. No, this is not shameless self-promotion on our part. There are plenty of inspirational books, whether they are memoirs or training based. Sometimes reading about the sport is enough to remind yourself why you love it.