We all struggle to stay motivated. We all experience “ugh” days. Even the most experienced runners have to push themselves out the door from time to time.
When I was a beginning runner, it was hard for me to wrap my brain around this. I was convinced that I was the only one struggling to keep running. I used to think things like “maybe it’s a sign I should stop running and do something else”. Glad I didn’t listen to that nonsense.
As with anything you do in life, it’s important to remember that you will not always be motivated. So you can stop waiting for that magical moment in your life to arrive when you’ll always “feel like it”. Trust me, I really love training for stuff but still some days it’s all aboard the Struggle Bus.
But not to worry, there are some things you can do to make it easier to get out the door. For #twothingstuesday this week, I’m drawing from my more than a decade of running experience to share my two favorite self-motivation methods with you.
(1) Make it special. When I’m feeling unmotivated to run, I commit to only listening to my favorite podcast when I’m running. It doesn’t take long before I’m craving a run so I can catch up on the latest episode. It turns the time I spend running into a real treat for me. Not into podcasts? You can do the same thing with your favorite playlist or album. Attach your runs to something you genuinely love and enjoy and you’ll be looking forward to the miles rather than dreading them.
(2) Commit. If something is important to you (like improving your health and fitness), you can’t wait for motivation — you have to just commit to it. I find it’s usually more effective to commit to something tangible like signing up for your local 5k, a new race distance, try a trail race, or raise money for charity at a larger event. Not into races? Then commit to someone. Find a running buddy. Nothing keeps you going out there & logging miles like having somebody counting on you. And if you’re unable to coax someone into joining you, hire a coach to write a program for you, create some variety in your run workouts & hold you accountable.
I’ve got a few slots open for online run coaching. Open to all levels and abilities. DM me for details!