Knowing when to quit

There's no magic number of races that make a season. Some runners race every weekend for months, while others settle for four or five races before taking a break. If you reach a point where your performance declines and your motivation wanes, it might be time to pack it in. A few weeks of downtime will give you a chance to reflect on the season, what worked and what didn't. After you're rested and rejuvenated, start again, building for the next season, and the next, stretching ahead of you like hurdles on a track.