Learn to control it.

You set off for training with a clear plan. Today it will be brisk. For example, ten kilometers at the pace you set. The first kilometers are fine, the watch shows exactly what you want to see and everything looks great. But gradually you start to feel that today is not quite the same. Your legs are getting heavy, your heart rate is rising and the pace is starting to be much more demanding than it should be. But you have only one thought in your head: I have to keep it up. Slowing down means that you have failed the training.

And it is in moments like these that something that is not talked about much in running comes to the fore – the running ego . The need to run faster, to have better numbers, to beat others or at least yourself. Moreover, social media doesn't help at all. Every day you see fast paces, personal records and dozens of kilometers, so sometimes you feel that your run has to look the same. But running is not a competition for the most beautiful activity on Strava. And sometimes the greatest sign of experience is being able to slow down.

Are we running for ourselves or for the numbers?

You might know it. You open Strava and within seconds you see who ran today. One ran a 10 at a 4:30 pace, another ran 15 kilometers, and a third scored a new car. And suddenly you feel like your easy 5 at a 6:15 pace isn't much.

But that's where the problem begins. We start comparing our runs to someone else's. We stop focusing on how we feel and start focusing on what our numbers look like. We want a faster pace, a longer distance, a better time. And the more we get caught up in this comparison, the easier it is to forget one important thing - you're running for yourself.

It's okay to want to improve. It's okay to want to beat the odds or push yourself to the limit. The problem comes when you feel like every run has to be proof of how good a runner you are.

Because it doesn't have to.

You don't have to run faster than you did last time. You don't have to beat your best time every week. And you certainly don't have to keep up the pace just because someone else is. Not every run has to look good on Strava to be meaningful.

When the plan becomes more important than your body

A plan is a great thing. It helps you know what to run, when to rest, and where you want your training to go. The problem comes when a plan becomes something you have to do at all costs.

Do you have intervals planned? Then you just run them. Are you supposed to run a 10-minute race at a 4:50 pace? Then you run it at a 4:50 pace. And it doesn't matter at all that you didn't sleep well, you've been at work all day, it's thirty degrees outside, or you haven't felt well since the first kilometer. The plan says 4:50, so 4:50.

But your body is not a table in a training plan.

Every day is different. Sometimes you wake up full of energy and run better than you expected. Other times you barely get going and know that today just won't be the same. And being able to recognize that difference can be much more important than being able to keep up with the prescribed pace at all costs.

Maybe you were supposed to run fast, but today it's just going to be a leisurely jog. Maybe you wanted to do ten kilometers, but after six you feel like there's no point in it anymore. Or maybe you need to switch to walking for a while.

And you know what? It's okay.

A training plan is meant to serve you. Not you to it. One change in pace won't ruin your training. One shortened run won't take away your fitness. And one missed workout won't set you back a month. On the contrary - sometimes, by cutting back on time, you give your body a chance to handle the next workouts without unnecessary overload. Because much worse than one slower run is a few weeks without running because you refused to listen to your body.

Slowing down or walking is not a failure

You may have a simple rule in mind: once you've run, you have to run. Without stopping. Without walking. And ideally at the pace you planned.

But why actually?

Who said a runner has to run the entire distance without walking a single step? Why should a few minutes of walking mean you failed your workout? And why do we feel like a slower pace automatically means worse performance?

You don't have to be afraid to slow down. And you don't have to be afraid to walk either.

If you're a beginner, coming back from a break, or just building up your fitness, a combination of running and walking is perfectly fine. The same goes for if you're an experienced runner but today just isn't your day. Maybe it's hot outside, maybe you're tired, or your body is simply telling you that it needs to slow down a bit today. And that's when it's much better to slow down for a while or switch to walking than to try to maintain a pace that you don't have today.

Walking is not proof that you are not a good enough runner.

It's just another way to move and adapt your workout to what your body is capable of. There's no shame in running slowly either. A 6:00 pace is no worse than a 5:00 just because the number on your watch is higher. If you needed to run slower today, but it got you through it and you can train again tomorrow, it may actually have been a much better workout than one where you were trying to keep up the pace at all costs.

Because the goal is not to win every single race . The goal is to be able to run long-term.

And then comes the injury.

And this is where your whole running ego can turn against you. You push yourself because you want to be faster. You run faster than your body is ready for, ignoring fatigue and not wanting to miss a workout. Something starts to hurt, but you tell yourself you can still do it. It's just a little uncomfortable. And so you keep running. But then there comes a point when you can't run anymore. Suddenly you're not running fast. Suddenly you're not running at all.

There comes a pause, frustration and a gradual return. As soon as you start to feel better, you want to catch up. You want your pace, your mileage and your performance back. So you add a little more than you should again. But the body may not be ready yet and the whole cycle can start again. Faster running, overload, injury, pause, return and trying to catch up as quickly as possible.

Of course, not every injury can be prevented, and running fast is definitely not a bad thing. Speed is just as important to training as hard training, racing, or pushing yourself to your limits. The problem comes when you start ignoring your body's signals just to make your numbers look better. One quick workout can make you happy. A new bike can get you going, and a fun Strava activity can make you happy. But the ability to run again in two days, a week, a month, or a year is much more valuable.

So maybe next time your body tells you that today isn't the day, try forgetting about the watch and your schedule for a moment. Slow down. Go easy on the walk. Shorten your run. Or stop it altogether. It's not a failure. It's just a decision that one workout isn't worth losing dozens of miles over. Because running isn't about how fast you can run today. It's about how long you can run.

And sometimes the best way to beat your running ego is to simply slow down and listen to your body.