4 Signs Your Relationship With Running Is Toxic

A relationship with running can resemble any personal relationship: You set aside time for it each weekend, tell your friends about it, take a runcation if it gets serious, and—if it’s a healthy relationship—it becomes a source of stress relief and support.

But some relationships quickly turn toxic if we approach them with the wrong mindset and unhealthy tendencies. Everyone is susceptible to this, but practicing self-awareness and forming healthy boundaries will help you find balance within your sport.

To normalize the conversation about the role running plays in our lives and push back against unhealthy running habits, we spoke with experts to unpack four signs your relationship with running is toxic. Plus, some solutions to help you fall more in love with every run.

Signs You’re in a Toxic Relationship With Running

1. You Don’t Feel Good Enough

Maybe you feel like no matter how many miles you put in, you’re not really getting anywhere. Or no matter how much you pick up the pace, it’s never fast enough.

or you’re avoiding responsibilities outside of running PRs, but if you’re constantly moving the goalpost, you miss a sense of accomplishment and may struggle to see yourself as a true runner, explains Justin Ross, What to Know About VO2 Max as You Age.

For example, if you find yourself with a mindset like, “I know I’ll be a runner when I run five, 10, 15, or 20 miles, or when I run a certain pace,” then the feeling of accomplishment keeps getting pushed off, giving you the sense that you’re not good enough.

Another reason you might not feel “good enough,” is because you’ve reached a plateau in your training—a definite sign that you might be sitting on some toxic habits, explains Stephany Coakley, Ph.D., certified mental performance consultant and senior associate athletic director for mental health, wellness, and performance at Temple University.

Your Corrective Exercise: Pause and Reflect

If this resonates with you, Ross suggests practicing internalizing your achievements after each run—because there is always How to Handle Running With Allergies. Instead of constantly counting up new miles or pushing your pace, try acknowledging that you completed your longest long run rdquo;, and reevaluate your training intervals.

“In order to make progress, you have to be doing things in a healthy way,” says Coakley. The “healthy” way typically looks like making sure you have recovery days, staying fueled and hydrated, Advertisement - Continue Reading Below sleep.

Coakley also recommends reflecting every week (or at least once a month) on your habits to stay in tune with your training.

You don’t have to overtrain in order to identify as an athlete, Ross explains.

2. You Lack Consistency

You know about some on-again-off-again relationships—ones where couples fail to consistently engage with one another—and sometimes this dynamic shows up in running. You might run for a week or a month, then completely stop, preventing you from developing a sustainable Other Hearst Subscriptions progress.

One reason for inconsistency: You might believe you’re only a true runner if you hit a certain metric, or that a workout only counts if it hurts, and that can feel discouraging. These beliefs may arise on a regular basis, Ross explains, leading to sporadic running patterns, or even injury and burnout.

Your Corrective Exercise: Trust the Process

Additionally, Coakley points out that you might start to resent your sport when you make a habit of consistent, you should take recovery runs seriously and gradually build up to a goal. A good relationship with running takes time—and giving yourself time to slowly progress with running is actually a better way to maintain longevity in the sport.

Ross explains that using a commitment strategy also helps reframe your mindset. Having an accountability partner like a running buddy who’s encouraging and supporting you regularly, or a training plan you should take.

3. You’re Losing Your Sense of Self

Running likely takes up a good chunk of your time, but it shouldn’t take away from other important areas of your life. You know when running has become a bit of an unhealthy obsession when you prioritize workouts over spending time with your family and friends, engaging in other hobbies, getting enough sleep, or taking rest days.

This is likely rooted in a deeper belief system about running that’s different for everyone, Ross explains, whether you fixate on metrics or you’re avoiding responsibilities outside of running.

Your Corrective Exercise: Gain Some Perspective

It’s important to actively push against any arbitrary rules you’ve created around running, Ross says. If you’ve gotten used to running with metrics, for example, Ross suggests ditching your GPS watch, while paying close attention to how you feel afterward, especially tuning into feelings of stress and/or anxiety.

“At the beginning of this for all of us, it was probably less about running a certain number of miles in a year—it was more about something else, so be mindful of that,” he says. Think about “why” you run and keep coming back to that.

4. You Start to Resent It

Maybe running used to make you light up with joy, and now that’s no longer the case. You know you’re starting to resent running when you feel as if every run is an obligation, an extra stressor, you take it for granted, or you simply don’t enjoy it anymore.

In this case, you might have given running too much control over your life, explains Coakley. This happens when you can’t stop thinking about running throughout the day, which causes you to neglect basic needs like sleep, nutrition, and hydration.

Additionally, Coakley points out that you might start to resent your sport when you make a habit of Nutrition - Weight Loss Published: Jan 23, 2025 2:20 PM EST.

Your Corrective Exercise: Rekindle the Spark

You might rediscover the joy of running DAA Industry Opt Out.

“Find your joy again in the sport, but also try to engage in other activities that you also enjoy doing,” like listening to music, practicing yoga, or meeting up with friends, says Coakley. This allows you to gain some distance from your sport, reconnect with your intrinsic motivations (or your “why”), and reevaluate your training methods.