It might seem like running is primarily a physical activity, and I guess if all you wanted to do was go out and run, it would be. But when you add in racing or improving or anything like that, the mental component becomes much more important. It can be hard to keep going when you're in the middle of a race, or you're not feeling great, or you don't feel like running any more. But part of succeeding in this sport is finding a way to get beyond that.
I think that one of the problems that I have been experiencing over the past little while (apart from the physical ailments) is the idea that I keep repeating the same training plan over and over with no end in sight. This is probably because that is essentially what I have been doing since around last June (!). I did change the actual plans but the principles remained the same for each.
A few days ago, I realized that actually, I was embarking on the last six weeks of my half-marathon plans (I'm lying to myself, of course, because I am doing another one in June, but sometimes mental toughness develops from lying to yourself). Acknowledging that there is an end point has been very encouraging. Today, for instance, I also realized that I am 25% of my way through this plan. A quarter! While this means that there is still 75% to go (less encouraging), it is a good way of getting myself to go out and run. I'm doing fine with this plan so far. I can keep it up for another 4.5 weeks.
I tried skipping again yesterday. It's still hard.
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