Really bad run - which is better to do?

If you're having a really bad run - nothing hurts (too much) but it just seems to be a disaster: bad breathing, bad rhythm, you feel like you're slogging through water, your music is way too fast and too loud, you're running at half your normal pace.  Is it better to tough it out and just get those miles logged, or give up and get caught up the next day?

(I gave up, going out again tonight.)

Thanks!

I always have to be in the mood to do any type of exercise. Normally I have to force myself to be in that mood which i'm good at doing but there are those days when i just don't want to do it. on those days i just give up because i will half ass my workout and there is no sense because it is just wasted time for me.

This happened to me last week. I got very disappointed in myself as I'm training for a half-marathon. Everything just seemed off, and I had to stop. I walked for about 10 minutes, talked to myself and encouraged myself, then finished out my run. I got in all my mileage, but I was not pleased with myself, haha.

I usually am already out and on my way when I realize that "its not working for me" andI have no choice but to get home and I'd rather run than walk because it takes less time........soooooo, I run it out and think of it as "training the mind".

Personally, as long as nothing physically hurts, I say it's best to keep going.  For me, the first 1/2 mile is always torture, especially when it was cold out.  My mind would be on a continuous loop of "waahh it's cold and cloudy out here and nice and warm on the couch let's go home!!!" But then it always seemed like after about 1/2 mile, I'd find my stride, get warmed up, and I'd be good to go from there.

Sometimes, all it takes is for a song on your player to change at just the right moment, and you're good to go.

But everybody's different. :)

I'd recommend two things when this happens:  First, know that it's okay to have a bad run every now and then.  There are days you just won't find your rhythm.  It's okay, and it happens to everyone.

Second, keep going.  Push through it.  Look at it as a mental training day.  So what if you're used to running 3 miles in 25 minutes and today you had to stop twice to walk and your pace was slow when you were running and it took you 32 minutes.  Big deal.  The main thing is you finish it.

You still get a lot of benefit from the exercise, even if it wasn't the intensity you normally like.  And the emotional benefit to finishing rather than quitting is big, IMO.

PS  If you're training for a race, then you definitely need to finish days like this - you want to be mentally prepared for anything on race day, and finishing even though it's not going your way is important.

I usually try to stick it out for the minimum amount I typically run.  For example, I usually run between 5  - 7 miles, so if I'm having a disasterous day, I'll call it quits after pushing for 5.  And I try not to psyche myself out too much about the times.  I mean just like the bad days, there are good days, too - where an extra mile feels easy, and the speed is up and feeling good.  So, I figure that as long as you take advantage of your good days, it's fine to have a bad day as well.

Plus, think how much better you'll feel after having accomplished something that you totally didn't feel your body could handle!  Also, running, I feel, gets better with time.  I had a saying during cross country: get through the first, get faster on the second, and get ahead on the third!

Good luck!  :]  have fun!

i have those now & then. some times its that i have not taken enough recovery days. last time i had a bad run, i had just done some new strength training with a medicine ball. my body just needed some time to recover, nothing hurt though.  but usually if i dont feel any improvement after 10 minutes of any exercise, it usually means my mind-body just isn't ready. now that's usually 1 out of 20 times, it doesn't happen often but i usually try to listen to my body when it does. but we're all different, so experiment to find what you should pay attention to.

Like rnjt (posted above), I also use the 10 minute rule.   I tell myself I'll just run  for 10 minutes and if it still feels bad after that I'll call it a day.  Usually once I've done that 10 minutes I'm ready to keep going.  If not I figure I need a little more recovery time.