Burnout!!

I have been running consistently since October 2007, and I finally experienced burnout. This morning I rolled out of bed, slipped into my running clothes and shoes, and put on my iPod. I took ONE step out of the front door and came to a dead stop; all I could think was "I cannot make myself do this today." Feeling extremely guilty, I called my husband, who was driving to work. I explained my predicament and asked him what he thought about me taking the rest of this week (i.e., four days) off from running. Over analyzing as usual, I worked four days off up to failure in a marathon. However, after a 5-minute chat with my (counselor) husband, I realized that I need a short vacation from running. I take vacations from work to refresh, why shouldn't I do the same with running? The distinction in my head is that work is something I have to do, while running is something I want to do. However, running can get monotonous, and maybe I need a few days off to remember just how truly good it makes me feel. We are spending the weekend in Taos, NM, so I will definitely still get some exercise walking around the square, whitewater rafting, and hiking. I am going to reward my months of consistent running with a short break, and hopefully come out a better runner on the other side.