More often than not, I have to decide to run. No, in fact, I have to convince myself to run.
"But wait," you must be thinking, "you've been running for over half your life. You ran a marathon. On purpose. Aren't you just drawn to running like I'm drawn to the couch?"
Simply put, no.
There are a lot of things I love about running. The feeling of accomplishment, the exploration, the increased fitness. The actual act of running? Not always so much. I too have a deep appreciation for the couch. In my heart of hearts, I am lazy.
There are sometimes long stretches of time where I barely run. Although I consider running a key part of my identity and my favorite hobby, I have to make myself do it. Here are my strategies, in order from most planning/commitment to least.
Sign up for a race
There's nothing like a race to motivate you to run regularly. After all, you've paid money to get up early and run along with hundreds of other people. Your result will be publicly posted. And again, you paid money.
There are a lot of free race plans for any distance that will give you structure and motivate you to stay on track. Following one of those plans can take the guesswork of deciding how far to run and when.
Run with a friend
Isn't it funny how we have no trouble breaking plans with ourselves, but feel so much worse if we cancel on someone else? Knowing that someone is waiting for you and is excited to see you makes it much harder to sink into the couch. Make sure to pick a reliable friend, otherwise this can backfire if your friend frequently cancels on you!
Make it part of your routine
If you are like me, running is not something you're going to automatically gravitate towards doing. You don't just say, "Gosh, I've got 45 minutes, let me go for a run!"
Pick a time of day that works for you. Whatever time you pick, understand that it's a compromise. You are going to have to give up something else, whether that's an hour of sleep in the morning, your lunch break with your work friends, or an hour in front of the TV at night. If you have obligations during those times (lunch meetings? young kids? school?) make sure that the time you pick is something you can actually commit to.
Do it before you get home
In the before times when I was working in an office, the number one killer of motivation was walking through the front door after a day at work and a drive home. No matter how excited and sure I was that I was going straight to get changed and out for a run, it rarely happened.
If you commute to work, don't stop at home before going for a run. Run at the office. Join a gym and run there. Stop at a park on your way home. But for the love of Zeus do not stop at your house before you go for that run.
Just run for five minutes
If you feel tired or daunted by the distance of your run, even if it's a regular distance for you, try setting a ridiculously easy goal. Run enough to get warmed up and then you can be totally done.
For me, that looks like a half mile or a mile run. For someone who is new to running, it might be just a slow five minute jog. Or maybe your goal is just to walk for five minutes. The key is to pick something so short and so easy that you would feel embarrassed not to do it.
And here's the key: after you've hit the easy goal, you are under no obligation to run further. You can be done with no hard feelings towards yourself.
I have never stopped at just my short goal. The act of moving for a few minutes loosens up the crud in my brain that's being so resistant and reminds me that it feels good to be outside and moving. And if you do feel like ending the run after your warm up? You still went for a run.
Do it anyway
Sometimes you just have an attack of the blerches. You're employing the strategies above, but you just don't want to run.
Here's the secret: you don't have to convince yourself that you want to run. You just have to run.
Put on your running clothes. Walk out the door. And then the hardest part, start jogging. The entire time your brain is probably going to be complaining:
I just don't feel like it.
I'll do it later.
I need to alphabetize the DVD collection.
I'd rather be napping.
I have the faintest hunger pang.
These shoe laces are SO. HEAVY.
Look. Look at that chair. I could just sit in the chair and not run.
You are allowed to be miserable and complain the entire time! Feel what you feel! It still counts as a run.
Try again
No matter how hard you try, sometimes you will just not go for a run. Sometimes it might be a whole week or a month of not running.
Every day is a fresh opportunity to run again. Whether you went on a run yesterday, or haven't gone on a run for years, today you have a new opportunity to run.
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