Being a runner is a commitment. A commitment to your fitness, health and happiness. There aren’t many activities we can do that can bestow all three of these life-vitalising benefits on us at the same time. But there are times when our commitment fades and we lose the motivation to get out the door for a run. It’s too cold, I don’t feel like it, I’m too tired, I have too much to do, I don’t have the time….all excuses we make when we are losing the motivation to do what we know will make us feel better and is so positive for our lives. For those times we need some strategies to help re-invigorate our motivation. Join us as we explore 7 Ways to Stay Motivated to Run, and keep alive our commitment to our health, fitness and happiness.
1. KNOW WHAT DRAINS YOUR MOTIVATION.
First of all, it’s vital that we identify and acknowledge what causes our motivation to flounder in the first place.
Once we have this knowledge we can often launch a pre-emptive strike on the symptom before it even materialises.
For example, if you’re like me, I hate the cold. Getting enough motivation to hit the track on a freezing morning is a very tough ask for me. Consequently, rolling over in bed and turning up the electric blanket seems like a much better idea.
FINDING A STRATEGY
To counter this I will set out my running gear the night before in front of the heater so they are nice and warm to jump into when I get up. I might even sleep in my running gear. Having a core warming coffee ready to brew is always a great incentive, some coffee machines can even be set with a timer to be ready at a certain time. Another tip is not thinking about the cold at all, but focusing on how great I will feel once I’ve completed the run.
Nothing will make you more proud of yourself than overcoming a little hardship and doing what is ultimately good for your body and mind. It sets you up for your entire day.
Whatever it is that saps your motivation, work out some strategies to counter it before it even happens. Be prepared for the times when you know, from experience, that you feel least motivated to hit the track.
2. REMEMBER YOUR WHY’S AND SET YOUR GOALS.
Why is running important to you? What are you trying to achieve with your running workouts? What progress have you already made and how close are you to your next milestone?
Often times, losing motivation is a symptom of forgetting why you are doing it in the first place and what excited you about starting your running journey.
WHY’S
Are you running to get fit? If you are struggling to get out the door try to focus on your fitness goal and how you will feel when you achieve it.
That feeling of vitality, energy, of being light on your feet. All great results of increasing your fitness levels day by day and with each run.
Set your fitness goals, then break them down into small achievable steps you can work towards each week. You won’t want to miss this weeks goal, and that’s why you will ultimately lace up and get out the door.
GOALS
Are you running to lose weight? Have you set a goal weight?
Once again, have you broken down your goal into small manageable weekly targets? Remember this, running burns calories and reduces fat but you have to actually, you know….run. Focus on your desired outcome. Envisage how you will feel and how you will look when you smash that goal.
Making your weekly targets reasonable and achievable will keep you on track as you work through them, but always with an eye on that amazing end goal.
Reward yourself and celebrate your wins, more on that later.
3. FIND A RUNNING BUDDY, COACH OR MENTOR.
Sometimes a little obligation will be enough to kill off any lack of motivation.
Rolling over and going back to sleep is not an option when your running buddy is outside tapping her feet waiting for you. This is a really great way to make sure you get your runs in.
Schedule it, pencil it in, commit the time, diarise it, write it on your calendar, whatever it takes, but commit the time and make it non-negotiable in your mind.
You and your running buddy will keep each other honest when it comes to turning up for every workout, no matter how you feel.
COACH
What about a coach? How about a little financial commitment too. You paid for this session, obviously, you aren’t going to miss it just because you are having a slightly off day.
Turning up will keep your coach happy but above all else, you will feel amazing too, once you’ve completed that workout. You turned up…coach happy, bank balance happy, you happy…win, win, win!
MENTOR
If you are lucky enough to have a mentor, draw on their experience, they would have faced the dreaded ‘can’t be bothered’ days too.
Just talking about how you feel with them may be enough to get you back on track. Everybody is going to experience a lack of motivation at some point in their running journey, it’s inevitable. You just need a few strategies to get you back on the wagon, and often just talking about it with someone who has experienced it and overcome it will help
4. TRY A NEW WORKOUT OR A NEW RUNNING LOCATION.
NEW PLACES TO RUN.
Are you in a running rut? Do you always run the same circuit, track, trail, road? Lack of motivation to run can often be a symptom of boredom. Doing the same old workout and running in the same place every time you head out will eventually sap all the excitement out of your workouts.
NEW RUNNING LOCATIONS
So let’s mix it up. Try a few new running destinations, tracks or trails. There are a few ways you can do this.
- Discover new running routes using popular apps such as Map My Run.
- Join a running group, they will most likely have a variety of locations they run.
- Use National Parks maps to plot out a new run. You could scout it out on your bike or in your car first to get a feel of the environment and tracks etc. Trail running is always exciting and fun.
- Try a new park in your city
- Plan your next holiday around a destination that has great running tracks or trails. Beach runs are always amazing.
- Go to GreatRuns.com for some amazing running locations from all around the world.
There’s only one way to explore this world, and that’s on two feet.
NEW WORKOUTS.
If you find yourself doing the same type of running each time you go out then it’s time to mix it up.
Boredom with your running routine can easily lead to losing the motivation to run all-together, especially where the track is flat and your pace is always the same.
Here are a few ideas to help you add some variety and excitement to your workouts.
TRY THESE RUNNING WORKOUTS
- Hills and stairs. Try some Hill Repeats, find a not-too-steep hill, run fast up the hill and use the decline as your recovery. Do this three or four times. You can incorporate this into your normal run to add variety. Stair running is also a great addition to any workout, great for building strength and stamina.
- Progression run. With this workout, you start off your run slowly and progressively build speed, finishing at a reasonably fast pace.
- Interval run. This is a combination of fast and easy running. Divide up your run into intervals, for example, run reasonably hard for four minutes then back off for an interval of easy recovery running. Have fun with it, experiment with different length and intensity intervals.
- Fartlek run. Funny name and a fun workout. This one is best done in a group or with at least two runners. It’s similar to the Interval run but with less structure. Take it in turns to call out a landmark and intensity, for example, run at 70% to that lamp post. The unpredictability and randomness is great fun.
- Sprints. If you have an athletic running track nearby maybe you can perform a few sprints there occasionally. Otherwise, map out a good running surface somewhere and try to add in some sprints to your routine.
- Don’t forget the long run. If your running workouts are generally the same duration then its time to pencil in a longer workout. Finding a nice trail, park or beach-side location for your long run will make it something you look forward to each week.
MAKING IT FUN
There are many different ways you can spice up your running workouts.
Another excellent way is to pick a fun destination. Maybe end your run at your favourite cafe, coffee shop or juice bar for a well-earned cappuccino or protein shake.
Running at different times of the day can also add some welcome variety to your routine. Early morning runs, lunchtime runs, evenings or maybe even a nighttime run if it’s safe to do so.
5. USE TECHNOLOGY.
We have some amazing tech available to us these days as runners, From Sports watches that measure a mind-boggling array of metrics to incredibly engaging smartphone apps.
Let’s take a look at some of these and how they can help re-engage us when motivation starts to slip.
SPORTS WATCHES.
Sports watches are available across a huge range of manufacturers, capabilities and price points. What can they do?
- GPS tracking – uses GPS to track distance and pace etc, and plots your run on a map.
- Heart rate tracking – comprehensive details of your heart rate during your run.
- Route guidance – some watches such as the Polar Grit X, see our review here, can guide you along a track in combination with mapping apps. Great for exploring new tracks and trails.
- Supports not only running but other activities such as cycling, swimming, hiking etc
- Other metrics include – energy use advice, refuel advice, VO2 max, sleep tracking, connect with Strava, plus many others.
Using your sports watch to track your workouts can be very engaging. Use it to vary your distance, speed and location etc. It gives you the opportunity to really immerse yourself in how to plan your workouts with regard to what you want to achieve, and then use the recorded metrics to see how you went. You can also share the resultant run reports and maps to social.
STRAVA.
Strava is an amazing app and website that connects millions of runners all over the world. By syncing your workouts from your GPS connected smartphone or sports watch you can track all your activities and share them with family and friends on Strava. It’s like a giant social media network for active people.
Use it to share your workouts and setup friendly challenges with friends no matter where they are. There is so much more to explore on Strava, it can be very inspirational.
SMART-PHONE APPS.
As well as Stava there are a great many other apps you can use to add a little engagement and excitement into your running.
One I particularly like and recommend is Running Heroes. If you are a runner you need to be on this. Once again, this app syncs your workouts from your sports watch or phone to the app and rewards you for your efforts. Running Heroes put up challenges each week for you to enter, for example, it might be something like complete two 5k runs.
Once you have completed the challenge you are then eligible for rewards and prizes. They have some amazing prizes such as running shoes, sports watches, t-shirts, protein snacks, and many more. See our in-depth review of this app here.
All the sports watch manufacturers have apps that will give an in-depth overview of your workouts. Plus, most smartphones will have native activity tracking apps built-in. There are also apps from running shoe manufacturers such as Nike Run Club, Runtastic by Adidas and Map My Run, these are all great tracking apps that give you amazing insights into your workouts.
ZOMBIE RUN.
Here’s a fun one. Imagine you are being chased by a horde of zombies, what can you do? Run of course.
This one is an app for your smartphone and you’ll need your headphones. Millions of runners use this worldwide, it’s been an incredible hit.
The premise of the game is you are the hero and each run will become a mission. Using captivating audio of zombies chasing you, each run becomes a challenging adventure. In short, it’s a lot of fun and it really challenges you to run that little bit harder to save yourself from the undead hordes. Check it out on the app store, look for Zombies, Run!
MUSIC/PODCASTS/AUDIOBOOKS.
With the amazing advances in headset technology, running with music has never been easier.
Earbuds in particular, such as Apple’s AirPods, make it so easy and comfortable to take your beats with you. No more foostering around with annoying wires. These can be paired with your phone if you take it along for the run, but also, more conveniently, with your sports watch or smart-watch.
Some smartwatches even have sim cards embedded making it possible to access your streaming services such as Spotify.
Music can be incredibly motivating, nothing like a hot new playlist to inspire you to get out there on the track.
We all lead busy lives, getting time to listen to your music, run your favourite podcast or listen to a riveting audio-book story, is not always easy, or possible. But you can when you run. Combining your run with other pleasurable activities such as these can be motivating, inspiring and something you look forward to.
ACTION CAMERAS.
Action cameras are a lot of fun. Especially if you are doing a picturesque trail run, a beautiful beach run or something else equally worthy of recording. Sharing to social is so easy also, posting a video to Instagram is a popular way to share your video adventures.
Whether you opt for one of the ever-popular Go-Pro cameras, one of the amazing 360º shooters from Insta360, or any other action cam, recording your runs is a fun way to add another element to your workouts.
HEADLAMPS.
Ever thought of a night run? As long as it’s safe to do so, night running can also be another great way to mix up your running routine.
A headlamp is handy for those winter nights when it gets dark very early and also for avoiding the heat of particularly hot days by heading out after dark.
Run with a buddy if possible at night and stay safe.
6. KEEP A JOURNAL.
Stay motivated by journaling. Did you know that running journals are a thing? Do a search for Running Journals on Amazon and you’ll be amazed at the number of options available.
These are great for recording your workouts manually or you can use one of the many journaling apps if you prefer to do it online.
WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF KEEPING A JOURNAL?
- Great for recording and celebrating your wins and achievements.
- Makes an excellent way to record progress on your goals. Are you running for weight loss, training for an event, wanting to improve your athletic ability, trying to improve your all-round fitness? Whatever you are trying to achieve, recording your progress in a journal is a perfect way to keep on track and keep motivated.
- Writing your training program in your journal helps keep you on track by taking the guesswork out of what you need to do on certain days, it’s all there, all you need to do is run.
LOOKING BACK TO MOVE FORWARD
- Looking back over your journals reminds you of your progress and inspires you to keep going.
- Is a great tool for discovering inconsistencies in your workouts. Why do you struggle with certain workouts? Is there a pattern? Is it the time of day, how you slept, what you ate, which running shoes you wore? Sometimes you can flesh-out a reason why some runs feel a little off by looking back through your journal. Conversely, you may be able to find out why some runs feel way better than others, once again, look for a trend.
HOLDING YOURSELF ACCOUNTABLE
- A journal holds you accountable. Writing your goals done on paper is like writing a contract with yourself. You can’t un-write it, it’s there for you to see and act on. Every time you open your journal, you will be reminded of why you run and what it is you want to achieve.
- Keep track of injuries and recovery. Do you have a recurring injury, is there a pattern to what is causing it, is there a trend to what helps speedy recovery or what hinders it? Looking back through your journal may be invaluable to help answer these questions.
- Fun to look back and see what you did on a particular day. Did you go for a run on your birthday for example, if so, how far, how did you feel?
- Is an invaluable tool for your coach or mentor if you have one.
7. REWARD YOURSELF.
Who doesn’t love a little reward for a job well done? You’ve made the effort, you’ve done what you said you would do, you’ve fulfilled your commitment to yourself and your running buddies.
That feels amazing, now it’s time to reward yourself.
Sometimes the gratifying feeling alone that you get after a good workout is enough of a reward. However, when you need that little extra push to get out the door, the enticement of a post-run treat can do the trick.
SOME RUNNING REWARDS
Here are some ways to reward yourself for a run well done –
- Coffee and cake. Well maybe not the cake, but how about finishing your run at your favourite cafe and grabbing a rewarding latte for your efforts. This is one of my favourites.
- The money jar. Or fun bank as I like to call it. After each run, put a certain amount of cash in a jar that you can later splurge on some new kit or a holiday. Pre-determine an amount you will flip into your reward jar, say 50c or $1 for each kilometre ran. Rewarding yourself with a new top or shoes, maybe a beach holiday, a dinner out, whatever it is, each run you complete will get you closer to your reward.
DONUTS ANYONE?
- Some sort of snack treat is always fun. How about an ice-cream, a donut (or two), something sweet from the cafe with your coffee. Or even some takeaway if your focus is not on weight-loss. There are all kinds of healthy treats also such as smoothies, juice, protein bars, protein cookies and, one of my favourites, a post-run granola breakfast.
- Treat yourself to a relaxing swim, spa or sauna. Or all three. These feel great after a solid workout.
- You’ve completed all your training this week, awesome job. Why don’t you spoil yourself with a well-earned massage, not only is it relaxing but it’s also great for tired or tight muscles.
- What about a pedicure or manicure?
- Just take a nap. Napping after a run is a luxury rarely available to most of us who lead busy lives but if you’ve got the time, this is one indulgence to look forward to.
- Relax with a movie on the couch. You did the workout, now do the relax. Decide on what you want to watch before your workout, and make it dependant on completing the workout.
- Allow yourself to open that lovely bottle of red you put aside as a reward for completing all your weekly workouts.
There are many ways you can reward yourself for stepping out of the door and getting your workouts done when you may not feel like it. These are just a few examples, find some that are personally motivating to you.
WRAPPING IT UP
Those days when you are lacking the motivation to lace up and get out there will inevitably come to all of us. Consequently, there will be days when you feel too tired, too busy, too this, too that, it’s going to happen.
On those days, try some of the tips we have presented to you in this article.
Those days when you feel least motivated to run are also the days you will feel the happiest and most proud of yourself that you presented and got the workout done.
BEWARE OF THIS MOTIVATION KILLER
There’s one other motivation killer that you should be aware of and take steps to mitigate, and that’s negative people.
You know why you run, you want to be fit, you want to manage your weight, you want to enjoy this great sport and commune with the great outdoors.
Other people often just don’t ‘get it’ and may say or do things that drain your enthusiasm or motivation. It’s difficult if that’s your significant other, but don’t lose sight of why you do what you do and try to disengage from any negative discussion about your running passion with these people. Don’t let them steal your exuberance, passion and energy.
Providing you have no injury or illness, conquering that lack of motivation feeling and getting your workout done makes you a running warrior. Lace-up, hit the trail, you are amazing!
Steve
Disclaimer. This article is for information purposes only and is not a recommendation to act on any of its content. It is always recommended you consult with your healthcare practitioner before engaging in any activity that may affect your health.
