I’ve been meaning to write this post about why I gave up running for a while…
Although it’s completely unrelated to healthy desserts or recipes, I wanted to publish in case it can help someone out there who might feel like I did a few months ago.
If you were to stumble upon my blog without knowing anything else about me, you might get a picture of this crazy-enthusiastic girl who is always happy, completely carefree, and whose life revolves around food and chocolate and dessert 24/7.
In reality, “blog Katie” is only a very small portion of who I am outside of the computer world.
You might be surprised by how much of my life is entirely unrelated to food and cooking, and I’m definitely not completely carefree.
Related: How I Started Blogging Full Time
Because I choose not to talk about my friends, relationships, or personal life on the blog, most people would’ve had no idea I was anything less than my usual upbeat self early this year…
Yet even as I continued with the cheery chocolate posts, I was feeling overwhelmed and exhausted thanks to moving twice, going through a breakup, sorting out issues with the book, and worrying about the future.
In the past, I would have leaned on running to get me through.
It was in college that I first fell in love with the sport, waking up each day excited to get out in the fresh Pennsylvania air before classes. Running provided an outlet for the pent-up energy I was no longer expending on soccer and tennis (sports I’d played almost from birth all the way through high school), and I could think about everything while I ran: school, friends, guys, the past, the future… or sometimes nothing at all.
Running’s meaning in my life would change over the years; when I moved back to Texas it became a comforting source of stability in my crazy and uncertain post-high-school life. Four or five times a week, sun or rain or snow, I’d be out there running, 7 to 10 miles each time. I loved it.
But somehow this past summer, I lost energy and motivation for something that used to bring such joy and excitement. For the first time in eight years, I found myself dreading the idea of going out for a run.
I would drag myself through the miles and arrive home feeling completely drained. Running had never been something I wanted to force myself to do, so one day in early July when I was “supposed” to go out, I just didn’t.
That one day turned into a week.
The week turned into a month.
Then two months.
And I was surprised to find I didn’t miss it. I had much more energy throughout the day, felt happier and less stressed, and even my hair—no longer breaking off from much-too-tight ponytails—looked healthier.
As people have pointed out in a few of my recent posts, I’ve also gained weight, which I’d been trying to do for awhile (I always wanted curves). Not going to lie, I am pretty excited about this.
(To ease your worries if you want to give up running but do not wish to gain weight: I don’t think quitting running directly caused me to gain weight. My personality is such that I naturally tend to lose weight when I’m stressed and overwhelmed, so the change is a physical manifestation of feeling happier and more relaxed.)
Will I ever go back to running?
Maybe someday in the future, but much more recreationally.
If running works for you, that’s great. Keep doing it! But if you’re feeling burned out by running—or any exercise—it might be a good idea to take a step back for awhile. You can always pick it up again if the desire strikes.
That’s not to say I’m advocating giving up exercise completely: I still walk every morning to get out in the fresh air, and lately I’ve been going with a friend to the gym a few times a week (basically he lifts all the heavy weights and I stand there with my 10-lb dumbbells and exercise my mouth!).
When I first gave up running, I feared losing a part of my identity. But the truth is I now have so much more.
2014 Edit: Part Two: Why I Started Running Again
Recipe Of The Day:
Flourless Pancakes – 3 Ingredients, NO gluten, soy, eggs, or refined sugar
Katie, you might wanna consider doing weight trainning!
its the best way to maintain your physique!
Katie, do you have any suggestions on how to get over a fat phobia?
When I first because vegan I was attracted to the high-carb vegan lifestyle, but now that I want to have a more varied vegan diet, I have found that I have developed a sort of fat phobia. I admire that you eat large amounts of fats and don’t feel guilty at all (and look great as a result!) Any help from others would be appreciated as well.
Hmmm… I’m not sure. Maybe talk with a nutritionist if you can? And be reassured by looking at me and maybe other people (maybe in your real life?) who eat a lot of fat and are still in good shape. Eating a diet high in healthy fats does not, in and of itself, make you fat. I eat much more than the RDA for fat and have never felt better. (But please remember I’m not a nutritionist and can only give you my observations based on experience not medical advice.) Good luck!
Thanks so much for your reply! I’ll keep working on it 🙂
http://collegehealthnut.blogspot.ca/2012/08/but-i-thought-fat-made-you-fat.html
check out my blog spot
carbohydrates do nothing but cause your blood sugar to spike and all that excess carbohydrates are quickly digested, metabolized and then stored as fat in the body. after a spike comes a fall leaving you hungry and irritable. Fat release hormones in your digestive tract that signal a full feeling, keeping you satiated for much longer. I use to be a fat phobic and lived by a high carb fat free life style. Now i’m basically the opposite, on a ‘paleo’ style diet and most of my calories are from fat and protein and very little carbohydrates. I’m at my lowest weight and highest muscle mass I have ever been and feel great. do NOT be afraid of the fat, instead i would fear the white (i.e. white flour, sugar, potatoes, rice) as those are what will leave you hungry, bloated, cranky, let alone wreck havoc on your digestive and immune system.
I would recommend a dietician (not nutritionist, as there is no required certification to call yourself a nutritionist. I studied nutrition for years and did an internship at a sports medicine center and I learned that fact along the way) and therapy. I have dealt with similar issues and those both have really helped.
I am so proud of you, Katie! I am proud of you for being so candid; I can only imagine the vulnerability you must have felt hitting submit to make this post public but just know that I found your words to be very inspiring due to a similar circumstance I have been through. This is the real you, this is genuine, and this post made me have nothing but overwhelming respect and support for you. Thank you.
First off I want to thank you for such an honest post. I went through a similar phase where I was just running because I was supposed to, but not actually enjoying it and was completely destroying my body from overexercising and excess cortisol. I now go for long walks with bursts of running (pseudo-interval training) and feel much better afterwards. I also found a LOVE for cycling. It’s great because you can set the pace or desired resistance you want and go out and enjoy yourself without having to worry about clocking kilometres (I’m a canuck) or timing yourself. Plus strength training is KEY for women, lifting weights at the gym and doing more body weight exercises is always encouraged. Even though you keep your personal life away from your blog, which I respect, I would tell something was ‘up’ and glad you have opened up instead of pretending to be a super happy bubbly person 24/7. P.s. I also mentioned your special diet parties post in a recent comment on my blog, thanks for all the great tips!
http://collegehealthnut.blogspot.ca
you can check it out here
Thank you for sharing this Katie 🙂 I had a very similar experience, but stopped right when I started college (did it my whole life before) and it’s been 5 years since then. Might start it sometime later in life again, but I took up surfing and hiking instead and love them. Glad to know someone else can relate and I enjoyed reading your story.
LOL….I just wrote a post about how your sport makes you feel. I’ve broken up with running a few times, and now it seems it’s breaking up with me! I often find moving toward something far less jarring like yoga after a long period of running can be really therapeutic.
Anyway, don’t give away your runners just yet. The love you’ve lost might bite you again when you least expect it.
BTW, sorry to hear you’ve had a tough year. I can certainly relate. I’m calling 2013 the year of the shit-sandwich 🙂
Thank you so much for writing this. I love running, but finally came to the point where I was able to let go of it–a much-needed change, due to health issues that caused running to drain me of energy, give me terrible headaches and sicknesses, and make me GAIN weight instead of losing it. I wish I could run, but I know it’s better for me to walk.
Katie – thank you for sharing! I love hearing your journey and I appreciate your authenticity! I hope that as you continue on this journey you will continue to find more ways to truly love yourself and enjoy WHO you are! Chocolate and running don’t define a girl – your sunshine heart and openness to the world around are what make you so special! Be blessed! Xjess
Wow good for you! I mean it’s much better to stop running than to force yourself to do it. I’ve never been a runner–I’ve tried and tried but I don’t think it’s for me. I read a tonnnn of running blogs and think, why can’t I run? I tire quickly and feel exhausted instead of energized (like you said). Walking is THE BEST and I will never tire of it 🙂
This is so timely for me! I recently (as in last week) gave up my obsessive cardio (elliptical for me, because I have a foot injury). I realized that my motivation for doing it came from an unhealthy place (insecurity– skinny people run all the time!, comparison– everyone in my family runs!, desperatation to change my body quickly– cardio is the fastest way to burn calories!), and it just wasn’t making me a happier person. I’m trying a new fitness route– weights, pilates, kickboxing! Things I love! I don’t have as many “extra” calories to eat in a day, but I can already tell that I’ve dropped a lot of my emotional eating habits!
Katie,
I can totally relate! I almost always dread running, but your experience has shown me that if it’s not fun, then stop! Thanks so much for your post. Have a great Thanksgiving!
I loved this post. Thank you for being so real. I also lose weight when I am stressed. And I hate when people say, oh you look so great, when deep down I am screaming for help or comfort. Thank you again! Hope things get better for you
Katie,
Thank you for this. I love how honest you are and how you are willing to share these parts of your life with readers to give them hope and help. This post especially helped me as I am a running addict who had to give up running for over a year now due to a ligament injury in my ankle. This past summer, I had reconstructive ankle surgery and am recovering (and finally walking again!), but of course still haunted by that nagging question..”Will I ever run again…? Will I be able to run like I did in the past…?” Your post reminded me of something I am slowly learning… to go easier on myself, be patient, and be more intuitive about how I treat my body. Sometimes I would force myself to exercise when I just didn’t feel like it, and that can increase the likelihood of injuries. I’m going to be following my instincts a lot more as I continue to get back on my feet. You are a great example of how to live a healthy life of “balance” and not go to extremes.* Thanks for keeping our heads screwed on straight! 🙂
*with the exception of chocolate 🙂
Thank you Katie! I appreciate this post more than you’ll ever know. I have suffered from anorexia and exercise addiction in the past. In today’s society (work out more! If it hurts, push harder! You can be thinner!) it becomes to difficult to gage when you are being healthy, and when you are so obsessed with health you’re actually sick. It takes courage to rest- to tell yourself it is okay to stop when your body needs to, and for that I commend you.
Recovering from my illness, eating healthy and a balanced diet has been incredibly important. I looked to your blog for recipes that would make me feel okay with allowing myself treats and enjoying food again. Everything was great, however my only concern was when I saw your picture. It seemed that you were too thin yourself- beautiful, but very, very slim. I almost commented a few times, wanting to reach out and see if you needed someone to talk to – but felt it was not my place being a stranger and all. I just want to say that you look absolutely gorgeous and happy in your photo above, and that I breathed a giant sigh of relief! Best of luck to you miss 🙂 Stay strong, and know we all support you whether you run a marathon or just hang out in the kitchen thinking up more wonderful ways for us to enjoy chocolate 😀
xo
I have enjoyed your blog over the past years… This is my first comment and I hope this isn’t completely in the wrong place or out of protocol…but I have a holiday recipe I would love to see have a makeover… it is gingersnaps dipped in this dip…but i’d love a vegan alternative with alot less sugar and with the same great pumpkin spice flavor…any ideas? Thank you so much for the great recipes you share!
8 ozs cream cheese (softened)
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tsps pumpkin pie spice
8 ozs frozen whipped topping (carton frozen whipped topping thawed)
16 ozs gingersnaps
Try this one!
https://lett-trim.today/2012/10/14/pumpkin-pie-cheesecake-dip/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Oh I never liked running much, just shorter spurts are fun. I wasn’t able to gain much weight at all until I was in my 30’s. Like you I tend to lose weight and appetite with stress. Love reading your blog for the recipes, I haven’t eaten dairy in about 14 years and it’s been helpful. Glad you’re enjoying your walks now; always good for clearing the mind. Be Well :0)