I have always envied natural runners, or friends who spontaneously sign up for 10k a week before the run. I have a cousin who has run twelve marathons… TWELVE. Excessive? Maybe I’m just a little jealous. Don’t get me wrong, I’m like most people, I grew up playing sports and was on four different teams throughout high school. Admittedly, none were track or cross-country. Running just for the sake of it has never peaked my interest. However, I think we can all relate to that certain level of fitness where you feel invincible, and it’s always a great feeling. Running can be an awesome way to de-stress and have some personal time. Here are a couple ways to gear up for anyone who needs a push to get out there for a run.
Make a running playlist
This might seem like a no-brainer, but there is no quicker way to kill your mid-run vibe than when a song like, “Let Her Go” by Passenger comes on your Pandora. I find it easier to make your own playlist to keep you ‘pumped up’ (for lack of better words) throughout your run. A great place to look for upbeat playlists is 8tracks, (8tracks.com) making an account is free, and you can browse thousands of workout themed playlists and pick a favorite.
Stay positive
So what if you ran a 7-minute mile in high school? If you’ve taken a break from running, don’t be so hard on yourself when you’re getting back into it. You probably ran that mile after 3 weeks of pre-season, and a month of practices and games. Give yourself some time to work up endurance and celebrate the small victories. If you run .1 more seconds than you did last week that is something to be proud of!
Get a workout buddy
For me, I’ve never really been sold on the running partner type of thing. Especially if I’m just starting to run after a while it seems a little weird to bring someone along if they’re just going to hear me gasping for breath with each step. Then there’s the awkwardness of, “So, how far do you want to go?” and “Wow, you’re face is really red, do you need to take a break?” What might work if any of this applies to you is to have a friend or someone who is also running on a regular basis to talk about it with them. The more you end up sharing with other people about your new endurance endeavors, the more you hold yourself accountable, and ultimately, stick it out for longer. However, I know some people love running or working out in tandem, in which case that is awesome and it can be a great motivator when you’re feeling lazy.
Buy some new gear.
This is an awesome way to get yourself out and about- buy something cute! If you’re just not that psyched to jog the sidewalks in your old New Balances (which look alarmingly similar to your mothers), I certainly wouldn’t blame you. It may be time to invest in new sneakers. Splurging on workout gear is like a double positive because you’re not only getting something new you like, but you’re also becoming healthier. I personally went through a tennis skirt phase. Do I play tennis? Yes. Did I wear the tennis skirts while working out also? Unfortunately, yes. But hey it got me out there and I at least felt a little cute while sweating. So as you can see, get as creative as you want.
Hopefully at least one of these suggestions can be of use to you if you’re getting out there for some jogging, and remember, a run is a run whether it’s ten minutes or forty-five. You have to really work hard at your personal goals to get to where you want!