When Passion Becomes Burnout

We run (or cycle or swim) because we love it. More than that, it becomes part of our identity. It’s the tool that we use to navigate the challenges we face in the rest of life. It’s the constant that provides focus and something we have control over.

So how does that become something that we wake up dreading, or worse, just not caring about at all.

The thing about burnout is that we don’t often see it coming or we choose to ignore it hoping that’s just an anomaly, a strange deviation, and we can just keep going.

It’s that fear that if we name the issue, we’ll have to stop the thing that is holding us together or give up on our goals. 

Burnout Often Starts Long Before We Notice It

It’s so rarely that I see someone raise their hand and say ‘I think this is too much’ or ‘I need to pull back because I have other things going on’. It’s always retrospective. I get notes from my athletes saying they were really tired or sore. Maybe they had to cut a run short or weren’t able to hit paces. And even sometimes they tell me about something that’s starting to bother them; not a true injury, just a little niggle. And since I know what their training schedule and build has been, I know it’s not that. As we start peeling back the layers, it comes out. Maybe it’s a huge project at work that is taking time and energy, but running has been an essential part of getting away from that mentally. Maybe it’s a sick child so they spent the week getting woken up at 2am each night. But inevitably, whatever it is has thrown off that delicate balance.

Once that happens for long enough, things compound and it’s easy to start careening towards that point from which it’s hard to recover.

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Why High Stress Makes Training Harder

One of the things I always say about endurance training for events like marathons or half and full Ironmans is that there’s less margin for error. This same holds true when you’re at that precipice for the burnout and stress tipping point; And the reason is exactly the same. A highly stressed system requires a lot more precision to keep it functioning effectively. Things are amplified because that load requires much more support and recovery.

And objective decision making becomes harder. I previously said that I could see my breaking point coming. I absolutely knew that I was pushing my limits. But I was unwilling or unable to accept that something had to change (until, of course, my body made me).

Because when we are that deep into it, the blinders come out. And the heightened stress and focus on pushing more becomes part of the process. 

When we use our sport as the respite from other stress and we see it as the answer to our problems, all we are seeking is that relief that we get without realizing what it may be costing us.

Common Warning Signs of Endurance Athlete Burnout

Ideally, we can step back and recognize these signs of burnout before they become a problem. Things like inability to recover from workouts, changes in monitored data (HRV, resting and active HRs, sleep quality, etc.), and inability to sleep can all be indicative that there are some underlying issues.

But often, what we really need is someone who is willing to tell us that we’re flying too close to the sun. That can obviously be a coach, but it doesn’t have to be. It can be family or friend, someone who knows you well enough and is willing to say the hard thing when you need to hear it.

How to Recover Without Giving Up the Sport You Love

But what happens then? What happens when we are finally willing and able to admit that we are on the precipice of burnout?

The answer doesn’t have to be stop the sport you love and need.  It’s not a zero sum game.

Be Honest About Your Current Capacity

1. Be honest with yourself. Recognize what the limitations and all of the factors in your life to do a true assessment of what your capacity is.
2. Optimize what you can control. In times of high stress, even the basics like sleep may be out of our reach. Can you make sure that you are eating enough or even just on a regular schedule? Maybe you can just focus on ensuring that you don’t get dehydrated.
3. Skip workouts when you need to and don’t think twice. We all know that sometimes missing a workout is the right answer, but too often we feel guilty about it. It’s time to let that go and focus on the big picture.
4. Be ok with good enough. Sometimes that’s all we’ve got. Did you manage to drink a glass of water and heat up a frozen pizza after a really stressful day? Did you get in a 20 minute run on your lunch break? Did you decide to sleep an extra half an hour instead of going to the pool in the morning? Give yourself a high five. It all counts.

The Goal Is Longevity, Not Perfection

Remember the goal is not to be the absolutely peak version of yourself as an athlete at all times; it’s to continue to be the runner or cyclist or triathlete that is your core for the long haul. And sometimes that means, recognizing your limits.

I will keep running to help me in times of high stress. It will just look a little different. 

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