Why is running alone so hard?

You have probably been doing more running alone recently and may have noticed it feeling harder than it should. Alex Huskinson writes about a recent study that explores the role of affective feelings: the researchers found that solo and group races feel equally hard, but that solo races feel progressively less pleasant. https://www.outsideonline.com/2412178/psychology-solo-exercise-affective-feelings-research

It has also been found that mental fatigue makes running feel harder (pandemic ruminations, anyone?) and that even elite athletes go slower when their brains are fried. There are no magic solutions, so if you are struggling with your runs, don’t beat yourself up about it.  Accept that it is going to feel harder and there is nothing wrong with that.  A few tips I have to take your mind off running feeling hard:

• Plan an interesting route so you focus on exploring
• Pick out Strava segments to run hard
• Focus on running all the up hills strong
• Focus on technique: posture, downhill running, relaxing etc.
• Know the purpose of your run and what you want to achieve from it.  If it is recovery then make sure that is what you achieve.
• Staying happy is important, so focus on why you run and be grateful that you can get out.

Of course it is also useful to accept that running is feeling hard, but see if you can keep the pace going anyway.  Pick a marker or distance and aim to keep your pace going that far and when you get there see if you can keep it going a bit further.