I've been running since long time and now pretty much every day apart from a few days here and there.
I'm not too strict with myself but I do try and keep up the running as much as possible. Because it does me so good physically mentally and it's my little bit of me time it's something I enjoy doing. And I usually run in the evenings.
Get Up And Go For A Run
First I'm gonna start talking about that initial motivation to actually get up and go for a run.
Now I'm gonna go and put my body in a lot more sort of physical stress and I'm not gonna sit down with a cup of tea just it is really mentally hard.
And one thing I find that really helps me is think about what I would be doing in 20 minutes time. If I go for a run in 20 minutes, I'll be back I'll be feeling really refreshed and really just like motivated and proud of myself.
If I don't go for a run I'll probably still be swirling through Instagram, 20 minutes goes by so quickly when you sit and doing nothing.
One evening when I went for a run and came back my brother said that he didn't even know I had gone and he didn't even feel like time had gone past and that's how much time we can actually waste.
So I just try and think about useful time and time wasted and because it's only 20 odd minutes that I do I don't run for a long period of time I don't feel like it's gonna take up too much of my evening.
And it's just that little bit of if I go for a run now after my run and my shower I can settle down for the evening and feel so much better for it. So that's my first tip is try and think about the time that you are actually putting to good use when you're going for a running said at the time that you're wasting when you don't go for a run.
Music
It has to be music that's within the same pace that I'm running so I tend to go for more upbeat songs and I have a running playlist. And it was like in the beginning I did this whole playlist of songs that I loved and then I had like Backstreet Boys songs in there I have like slow ballads and stuff that I loved.
But he was just not keeping me going because it wasn't like it wasn't keeping my pace up and then I took all these songs out and just kept songs they were really upbeat and that matched my speed and my motivation.
And I have a few songs but I always go back to when I'm in the middle of running and I feel like I'm getting so tired and so bored. And I try and run to the beat of these songs and it becomes a little bit of a challenge and a little bit of like you know just fun and it actually keeps me going.
Bumping To Other People
The next thing that keeps me going is bumping into other people running as well.
And even if I don't know them. It's just that unspoken thing that like we're telling each other just keep going you're doing really well.
So when I'm running and it's like really deserted and all of a sudden a runner comes from nowhere and we kind of like greet each other. It's just that little bit of extra yeah let's keep going kind of thing right.
I Don't Put Pressure On Myself
The next thing is to not put any pressure on myself to run any kind of distance for any length of time I simply just get out of the door and I run.
However, long however much I do it and I feel good about it. If I put pressure on I'm gonna do a 5k today or I'm gonna do a 3k today, I feel like I don't want to go for a run because I don't want to disappoint myself and if I don't do that then I will feel horrible about it.
So I take it one step at a time don't put any pressure on myself. Sometimes I go really slow like a very light jog and other times I go faster but I try not to put any pressure on myself, Even when I'm running with other people with a friend.
I just feel like if I put pressure on it and try and keep up and feel as fit as my friends then I'm just not gonna want to go for a run.
So yeah I don't put any pressure on myself. I was just enjoying it I was running. Because I was enjoying it not because I was trying to achieve something.
I didn't start with the goal of 5k it just it was something that happened because I was enjoying what I was doing.
Sence Of Achievement After A Run
About the second thing that motivates me to actually go for a run is to think about that sense of achievement after the run.
And when I think about how I feel after I go for a run that gives me such a boost to get up get dressed and not think too much about it so that is the second thing that motivates me.
Say No To Transportation
If you have a partner a brother, a husband, a wife, a boyfriend. It's so much easier to just go for a run in the evening your partner is likely to be at home and you'll just be able to go come back and it will be as if nothing happened.
And yeah that's what I do obviously if your circumstances are different then that won't be as much of a motivation for you. But that's definitely motivation for me.
Running Is Little Bit Of Me Time
My next motivation is the fact that running is my little bit of me time and I feel like it's extra special me time because me time out of the house feels even better.
And running just feels like I'm getting out of the house this is my time for me to focus on myself I'm doing this for me I can think about what I want to think about I can listen to whatever music I want to listen to.
So you had that thought when I'm at home and I feel like should I go for a run or not and thinking about that me time that peace of mind that headspace just makes me want to get up and go.
Watching My Own Body Transformation
The next thing that really motivates me is watching my body take a nicer shape and looking more toned. And the reason why I included this in my motivation things.
It's because sometimes you know like I've put the kids to bed and I'm getting changed and good getting into my comfits in my pyjamas or whatever.
If I stop and look in the mirror and I see that my body is looking nicer that I'm happier with how it's looking I'm more likely to instead of putting my pyjamas putting my running clothes and go for a run.
Because I just feel like I want to keep that progress going. So that is one thing that definitely motivates me a lot of the times I'm just like quickly.
Nike Running App
And the last thing that really gives me a kick up the bump to go for a run is my night running up and hitting the next milestones on the app.
A day be like total amount of kilometres that I'd run that I just decided I'm going to reach that target today. And I went for a run even though it was really late I went for a short run got back it felt like yes I've done it.
So that really got me out of the house and a lot of the time just by looking to see up at my progress see how far I've got to go until my next milestone.
Final Thoughts
It may be tough to get up and go for a run. But most of the time, you’ll be more pleased and satisfied with yourself if you get up and do it.
Think about the reasons you want to run in the first place. Ask yourself if running is something you enjoy, since you’ll be more likely to drum up the motivation for an activity you truly want to do.
It’s easy to come up with excuses to avoid something, but the key is to counter those excuses with reasons to just do it.
Often, motivation follows action. So get yourself together and get moving. You’ll feel better after running, and you’ll be happy you stuck to your routine.
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