I have always had a love-hate relationship with running. I personally find it very good for my mind as well as my body. I love the feeling of running and love it, even more, when I've finished. I do go through waves of running I will admit, I think it's one of those things that you can just overdo and then lose motivation. (I certainly do).
I often get asked by my friends how I find the motivation to get out and run so down below are some tips and advice that I have learnt on my running journey (literally) which will hopefully help you on yours 🏃🏼
Start Slow
Plan short interval running. If you are new to running my personal advice is to start with shorter distances so you can work on recovery. When I got back into running I started off with alternating between walking and running at first and that really helped with my breathing and stamina. I then became more comfortable and confident and increased my running distance and shortened my walks.
A really good app to begin running with is Couch to 5k. This app is extremely useful as you have your own personal trainer to motivate you through each run and primarily focuses on your end goals, whether that is to get fit, get strong, lose weight or just want a challenge.
Every runner has a different starting point.
Plan Ahead
This tip is for pretty much for any type of workout; running, HIIT workout etc. I find that making a mental note or writing it down you are more likely to stick to your workout. I am so good at convincing myself out of things, I need it in my diary otherwise I really won't get anything done. What I find useful is getting all of my running things ready the night before so that when I wake up I know what I'm wearing and I can get changed straight away before having second thoughts.
I know somebody who sleeps in their workout clothes so they have no excuse! Whatever works I guess!...
I also make sure that I'm planning my runs around my other workouts so my muscles aren't in pain or feel achy for when I have a long run planned.
Plan Your Route
It's important to have your route planned out in advance especially if you are running longer distances. I have around 3 or 4 different routes that I like to take, these range from 3.5k to 8k. I like not having to think too much into my runs, so if they are planned out for me in advance, it means I can concentrate on my breathing, my music and what's around me.
Download A Running App
The app I use to track my runs and plan my routes is Strava. I like Strava because not only does it make running easy, it motivates me. Granted, it's the only app I have ever used, but I like that you can follow your family and friends on it and see how often they're running, what routes they use and you can track your own progress too. If you are wanting to become a regular runner, download a running app!
Mind Over Matter
This is for when you are halfway through your run and you want to stop. I definitely get to a point where I convince myself that I can't go any further and need to stop. Then I quickly evaluate how far I've run how far I have left. One tip that I have learnt on my longer runs is to break it down. If I am planning a 5k run, all I think is it's 2 lots of 2.5ks and it makes my distance seem shorter and encourages me to keep going.
Nutrition
There is a lot to nutrition and running because you need to find a balance of making sure that you have enough food which is fuelling your body for your runs but not too much food that is making you feel sluggish and slow.
If I know I want to run a long-distance in the morning, I will make sure that I have a carb-filled dinner the night before if I know that I won't have time to eat in the morning, or, I try and run mid-day so I can have either porridge with banana or toast with peanut butter and banana for breakfast a few hours before. I know some runners prefer running fasted however I know I perform better with some food in me.
It's super important to replenish after a run, so focus on protein and carbohydrates and well as plenty of water.
I hope this motivates you to get outside and start running!
Thanks for reading!
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