So, maybe taking the day off is really a way to minimize missed workouts. When you finally do start running, each hill seems steeper than ever before, the wind seems to be blowing in your face all the time, and a glance at your watch serves to confirm the futility of this effort. Clearly, this is not a run to remember. Experiences similar to the one described here are not uncommon for any normal athlete. In baseball, hitters suffer through slumps, while pitchers inexplicably lose the strike zone.
Golfers find their putting skills disappearing for a few rounds.
However, a runner is hardly a normal athlete. The running season lasts 12 months a year, for as many years as we can squeeze out of our bodies. We develop a relationship with our sport not unlike other special relationships in our life. When some of the joy is lost, we're not sure how to handle it. It makes us worry.