"Focus on how far you've come, not how far you have to go."
Last year my 'New Fitness Activity' of the year was to run! I HATED running. It was boring and I didn't enjoy it. Also it would take me about 17 minutes to run a mile...yes I know, most people can walk a mile in that speed and it's crazy pathetic for a 25 year old but I just never ran nor tried to run nor cared to! So how does one motivate oneself to run? Immerse yourself!
1. Fun Runs! A friend and I decided to sign up for a bunch of fun runs as a way to motivate ourselves. Our first one was the Graffiti Run 5k! It was pretty fun. Over the course of the year I ended up doing the Graffiti Run, the Diva Dash, the Inflatable 5k (hated this one!), the Wipeout Run (my favorite of the year), and ended with the Tough Mudder (absolutely loved it!)! Knowing how much fun I was having while completing these, how accomplished I felt and how much my running had improved just increased my motivation. Since then I've also done the Bolder Boulder 10k and The Dirty Girl.
3. Find your gear! Whenever I start a new activity I never spend any money on it, I try to see whether it's really something I will pursue in the long run or something that is going to be dropped quickly. I had made it about 5 months into the year and really started liking running, I was invested. So- Wireless headphones! The buds never fall out!
- Flipbelt! My favorite fitness investment! Stays in place and holds absolutely everything. I even use it while traveling now!
- Custom Insoles! I have a bigger arch than average and therefore need the extra support there, Road Runner Sports did an excellent job on my soles!
4. Find your tunes! When I started, I was listening to music, but I quickly realized that it was neither motivating nor interesting enough to keep me going. Enter...Podcasts and Audiobooks! Turns out I'll run for longer if I can lose myself in a story or a really good podcast! The podcasts are great because there are so many episodes and I'll be focusing more on the podcast than running and how tired I am. It's a mental game. The audiobooks only work if I'm in the middle of a really good book, then I'll even continue running or get some extra laps in just to finish up a chapter! Either one keeps me going for so much longer than music ever did, highly suggest!
5. Get rid of the excuses! It's snowing outside? I ran around my house, no lie! I would make laps around the kitchen, then dining table and living room, run upstairs through all the bedrooms and back down again until I completed my desired distance! No gym membership? Run outside!!! It's incredibly beautiful, the fresh air is wonderful, and being out in the sun, around people, around nature is something we really need to do more.
6. Last Resort....Find a treadmill and watch Netflix! I'm serious! When I first started over the winter I would take my iPad to the gym, start Netflix and just binge watch tv and run! I could go forever! Binge watching the new season of Orange is the New Black and burning those calories = WINNING! No excuses!
6. Last Resort....Find a treadmill and watch Netflix! I'm serious! When I first started over the winter I would take my iPad to the gym, start Netflix and just binge watch tv and run! I could go forever! Binge watching the new season of Orange is the New Black and burning those calories = WINNING! No excuses!
Now get off that couch and start running!
XOXO,
A
Purchase some of the things I use:
Purchase some of the things I use:
A long time ago I ran in a 5k night race. It was an interesting experience, and I was super happy that I was able to get myself to the point that I could run the entire distance without walking breaks! One thing that I remember is that running in a large group of racers is so much different than running alone.
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