How to get back to PRs?
Getting back into running has been way more mentally difficult than I expected.
I used to run consistently and had PRs I was really proud of. Back then, certain paces felt comfortable, and logging runs gave me a sense of accomplishment. Now, after time away, every run feels like a reminder of what I used to be able to do.
The hardest part honestly isn’t even the physical side — it’s seeing the pace on my watch and knowing it’s so much slower than it once was. I’ll finish a run that should feel like a win, but instead I compare it to old stats and end up discouraged. Sometimes I even avoid logging runs because I don’t want to see the comparison.
I know fitness comes back over time and I’m trying to focus on consistency again, but mentally it’s tough not to tie my identity to old PRs and old versions of myself.
For anyone who’s gone through this, how did you stay motivated while rebuilding? How do you stop comparing current runs to past performance and actually enjoy running again?