Why I’m Taking a Break From Big Race Goals to Focus on My Health - Labs for female runners

and a $25 off link for Function Health

If you’ve been around here lately, you know I’ve been talking a lot about burnout.

About how last year I did too much at one time.About how “more and faster” stopped feeling empowering and started feeling heavy.About how I’m trying to bring joy back by playing — being silly, doing things I’m bad at, not tracking everything.

And if I’m honest?

The burnout wasn’t just mental.

It was physical.

Not in a dramatic, crash-and-burn way. More like a quiet hum in the background. Low energy. Waking up tired even after 9 hours. Feeling like my effort didn’t match my output.

So instead of signing up for another race to “fix” the feeling, I did something different.

I ran my labs through Function Health.

Why I Wanted More Data

As runners — especially high-achieving women — we’re very good at normalizing things.

“I’m just tired.”“It’s just a busy season.”“It’s just stress.”

But I’ve been talking a lot lately about protecting my peace. About subtracting instead of adding.

And I realized: if I’m serious about reversing burnout, I need to look under the hood.

The Function Health process was simple:

• Fill out an intake.

• Go to a local lab for a blood draw.

• Get comprehensive results back in a clear dashboard.

• Actually understand what the markers mean — not just “normal” or “abnormal.”

  
  

It wasn’t about finding something scary. It was about finding patterns.

And the patterns told a story.

What My lab results for female runners Showed (Broadly)

Nothing catastrophic. Nothing emergency-level.

But enough small things that, together, painted a picture:

Stress matters. Recovery matters. Fueling matters. Sleep quality matters (not just hours in bed). And pushing harder isn’t the answer.

It wasn’t one big red flag.

It was a series of yellow lights.

And if I ignore yellow lights long enough… they turn red.

That hit me.

Why I’m Letting Go of Big Race Goals

Normally when I feel off, I double down.

New marathon. New training block. New performance goal.

But this year?

No big fall PR attempt. No “prove something” race.

I’m choosing shorter distances this spring. Lower overall mileage. More strength. More mobility. More recovery days that are actually recovery days.

Because I don’t want to be fit and fried.

I want to be strong and steady.

This is the same thing I’ve been coaching my athletes through — the women who were on-and-off injured last year and are finally getting healthy because they stopped forcing progress.

It turns out the lesson applies to me, too.

How I’m Changing My Habits (Gently)

I’m not blowing up my life.

I’m making small, steady shifts for the next six months before I retest.

I’m Fueling Like It Matters

No more accidentally under-eating on busy days. More protein. More carbs around workouts. More hydration.

Not in a rigid way. In a supportive way.

I’m Running By Feel More

Some days the watch stays home. Some days the pace doesn’t matter. Less input with podcasts, books, and music on runs. More "quiet" runs.

Play > pressure.

I’m Protecting My Nervous System

Fewer commitments.More white space.More “this is enough.”

Because burnout isn’t just training volume. It’s emotional load. It’s decision fatigue. It’s constantly being “on.”

Peace is productive.

I’m Prioritizing Mental Health

This might be the biggest one.

Joy is no longer a bonus. It’s a requirement.

Silly dance parties in the kitchen. Doing workouts I’m bad at. Letting myself be a beginner again.

I used to think discipline was the highest virtue.

Now I think it might be self-awareness.

The Six-Month Check-In

One thing I appreciate about Function Health is that this isn’t a one-and-done lab panel.

I’ll retest in six months.

Not to chase perfect numbers. Not to obsess.

But to see if protecting my peace…Fueling better…Running shorter…Sleeping intentionally…Actually changed something.

Because we believe in progressive overload in training.

Why wouldn’t we believe in progressive healing?

If You’ve Been Feeling “Off”

If you’re sleeping and still tired. If your paces feel harder. If your motivation is low. If you feel like you’re doing everything “right” and it’s not translating.

It might not mean you need to try harder.

It might mean your body needs support.

Getting data didn’t make me anxious.

It made me calm.

Because now I’m not guessing.

I’m building.

Slowly. Intentionally. Without a race clock breathing down my neck.

If you’re curious labs for female runners that are more than what your GP will give you annually, I used testing with Function Health. Use the link https://my.functionhealth.com/signup?code=JSTEELE28&_saasquatch=JSTEELE28&d=FHREF25 for $25 off.

No pressure. No urgency. Just information.

This year isn’t about proving anything.

It’s about reversing burnout. Protecting my health. Bringing joy back to running. And making sure that when I do chase a big goal again, I’m doing it from a place of strength — not depletion.

And honestly?

That feels like the bravest goal of all.