Why I Stopped Running Twice and What Brought Me Back

The First Time: 2019

2018 had been the biggest running year — 118 runs, 876 kilometres, races nearly every month. Racing 10Ks, half marathons, picking up the odd podium at small local events. Then 2019 arrived and it just stopped.

No injury, no single event. The motivation just went. The gym felt more appealing. Lifting weights, visible progress in the mirror, no need to run in the rain. "I will get back to running eventually." Eventually turned into months, and months turned into a year of 23 runs.

The Second Time: 2022

2020 was actually a good running year — lockdown had that effect on a lot of people. 129 runs, 869 kilometres. But by 2021 it was tailing off again, and 2022 was another low point. 27 runs, 138 kilometres. Same pattern — gym took over, running felt like a chore.

What Brought It Back

Both times, the thing that worked was signing up for a race. A date in the diary with money paid. That forces you out the door when motivation has disappeared. In 2023 — a few local races, 40 runs, starting to rebuild. By 2024, back to 59 runs. And in 2025 — 139 runs and 1,440 kilometres, the biggest year ever.

The other factor was learning to run easy. When younger, every run was a tempo effort. Finish exhausted, dread the next one. Running at zone 2, conversational pace — that made running enjoyable again. It stopped being a punishment and became something to look forward to.

If You Are in a Slump

Book a race. Something small — a parkrun, a 10K, anything with a date. Then run easy. Forget pace, forget old times, just go out and move. Consistency comes back naturally once you stop putting pressure on every single run.

The fitness comes back faster than you think. 78 kilometres in 2019 to the biggest ever year within a few seasons. Your body remembers. You just have to give it the chance.