Nov 10, 1998

I've been in a rut for several months now, and my running has dwindled to a bloody short 2.4-K (about 1-1/2 miles). Everytime I think of doing a long run, my mind and body simply switches of. Please give me some advice on how to motivate myself and to give back my fire. (name withheld)

REPLY: My suspicion both times is that you suffer from chronic tiredness. You hint at that by saying "my... body simply switches off."

This tells me you're trying one or more of the "too's" -- too far, too fast or too often. You might need to plan on running shorter for a while, or starting slower, or taking an extra day a week off.

###