(I wrote this a little while ago and totally forgot to post it. It’s still relevant though, since we’re deep into fall marathon training season.)

Every now and then, I lose my running mojo, and it’s so frustrating. There’s usually a reason for it such as being too tired, having too much going on in other areas of my life, or recovering from illness and falling out of my routine. Right now, I’m in one of those spots.

At the end of last year, after the Chicago Marathon, I was lucky enough to get a place in the Big Sur Marathon. I’ve wanted to run this race for a long time, and this year seemed like the perfect opportunity. Training for it would keep me fit and active over the cold, dark winter months, and one of my great friends also got through the lottery, meaning I’d have company out on the course. Everything seemed so well organized. I took a break after Chicago, then eased back into running. I got back into OrangeTheory and even managed to maintain my running routine while on vacation in the UK and Chicago.

In January, my friend and I planned our trip to Big Sur. I booked four days off work, and we organised flights. We’re both flying into San Francisco with our husbands, then separately spending a day or so in the city, followed by renting cars and driving up the coast. We’ve booked the same hotel, and we’re looking forward to sightseeing together, grabbing dinner a couple of times, and enjoying the whole race experience. And yet, I find myself in a weird spot. I’m really looking forward to the trip – there’s nothing I love more than a racecation with friends, especially for a bucket-list race. But for some reason, I’m just not motivated to train. I can’t get into the groove or snap myself out of this funk. I’ve reflected on this quite a bit in my daily running journal, and I’ve come to the conclusion that there are a few key reasons:

The Overwhelming Political Climate: The current political climate in the U.S. (and the world) is weighing on me. I’m not going to hide my political opinions – I deeply dislike what’s happening in the U.S. right now and the impact it’s having on people, as well as the uncertainty it’s bringing. Every day feels like a bombardment of news stories, enough to fill years’ worth of newspapers. I haven’t yet figured out how to stay informed and engaged while also protecting my mental health.

Living in D.C.: If I’m being honest, I don’t enjoy living in D.C. I won’t go into details, as I know it’s home to many people who love it, but it’s just not home for me, and I don’t think it ever will be. The cold weather lately hasn’t helped. I have to remind myself that I used to run outside in all kinds of weather in Chicago, but since moving here, I’ve struggled to do the same. Running outside just doesn’t have the same appeal, especially after work, in the dark, by myself.

Work Travel and Fatigue: I recently traveled to The Hague for work, and while the trip was really enjoyable, it was also exhausting. I find my infrequent work travel valuable, but by the end of each trip, I’m always wiped out. While I do my best to keep up my workout routine, my sessions tend to be shorter than usual. I ran to the beach in The Hague a few times and loved the fresh air, but by the time I boarded my flight home, I was ready to sleep, even though it was the middle of the day. I think the jet lag really caught up with me when I got home.

Illness and Routine Disruption: A couple of days after getting back from The Hague, I caught a weird bug that completely derailed my training. It started as a stomach issue, then turned into intense fatigue. I managed to get my work done, but I was ready for bed by 7 p.m. each night.  I took a few days off, because I know better than to work out while sick, but in doing so, I lost my routine.

At times like this, I feel a little ungrateful. I’m so lucky to be healthy, and to be able to run, to have a friend who wants to go to California with me and share the weekend, yet I can’t seem to get excited or motivated, especially for the training part.

Thankfully, over the years, I’ve learned an important lesson: motivation is unreliable. It’s great when it’s there, but it’s not something you can count on. During training cycles like this which are thankfully rare, I remind myself to set my emotions aside, focus on my end goal, and stick to the plan. I have faith that my motivation and enjoyment of running will return. Until then, I’ll keep showing up. I’ll continue writing my training plan every Sunday night, filling in my running journal and following through with my workouts.  I know that race day isn’t going to be a super fast, PR experience as Big Sur is very hilly. I do know though, that it’s one of the most beautiful courses in the world, and I am really looking forward to having the opportunity to run it with no pressure, camera in had for some awesome race pics!

I’m curious. What do you do when you suddenly find yourself without motivation or feeling like you’ve lost your mojo? Do you have any tips to share?