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Whether you’re a former runner who wants to get back into the sport or you’ve never run any further than you had to in the past, you might be looking at ways to motivate yourself to get out and pound the pavement. Motivation can be tough to come by at first because running isn’t easy. You need to ramp up slowly to get your legs and your lungs accustomed to the activity. The tips below can help you find that motivation.
Start Slow
It’s hard to make yourself keep doing something if you’re miserable the whole time you’re doing it. Most people start out going too far and too fast. When you start, you should mostly be walking. There are a lot of programs online that can help you ramp up gradually. Unfortunately, when you are training your body to use itself in a brand-new way, you run the risk of injury. Just because you likely will not incur one comparable to some of the worst sporting injuries of all time does not mean you don’t need to prepare your body for this new strain, and engage in the proper after-care specific to running.
Change Other Habits
Making other changes can make your new habit easier. You might find that you want to make a point of getting more sleep or eating different food that gives you more energy. If you smoke, you might want to think about switching to a vaporizer. You can review a guide on the best portable dry herb vaporizers for 2021 to find what suits you for its use.
Track Your Progress
Tracking your progress can be a big motivator because reviewing it can show you that your progress is not nearly as incremental as it probably feels it is. You can use any method that you like, from pen and paper to spreadsheets to apps specific to running based activities. There are even apps that make the process more fun, including those that create different types of stories around your runs to keep you moving.
Set Goals
Setting goals is an important companion to tracking your progress. Many runners enjoy races, and a 5K is a great first goal and early milestone. However, if racing doesn’t appeal to you, you don’t ever have to enter one, and you can still set goals. They might be distance goals, speed goals or a combination of the two. Maybe one goal will be to try out different approaches, such as mixing in some trail running. One element of goal setting is that you’ll also figure out what kind of a runner you are. You may settle into someone who wants to just do two or three miles a few times a week. At the other extreme, you might end up falling in love with ultramarathons and other endurance events.
Mix with Others
Spending time with other people who are into running is one of the best ways to boost your motivation. Having someone else to do the activity with can make it less likely that you’ll let a session slide. There’s also the social aspect, which just makes it a lot more fun. On top of that, widening your social circle to include those who are all into a certain activity means that it just becomes more a part of your life. If you encounter problems or have questions along the way, you are surrounded by experienced people who can help you with them.
