YOU CAN HABIT ALL
Five ways for new runners to stay motivated and love the sport long-term
I HAD NO IDEA THAT RUNNING was going to be a long-term hobby, I just thought that I’d run a few shorter races before taking on the London Marathon. I’d run that, celebrate and then be done with it. But, somehow, I got the bug and kept going. The love that I now have for putting one foot in front of the other comes in part from developing good habits as a beginner. Here are a few practices that I believe any beginner runner can develop, which will help them to enjoy running, stay motivated and want to stick to the sport in the long-term.
01 Set realistic goals
One of the most important things I did at the beginning was to set myself a realistic goal. This gave me focus so that on days when I wasn’t feeling positive about getting out there, I’d return to the goal. I’d ask myself: ‘How will you reach your goal if you don’t put in the work?’ I say realistic because if my goal wasn’t attainable, it’s likely that I wouldn’t have been as motivated to try to achieve it. It doesn’t matter how big or small the goal is, it could be as simple as: ‘I’ll run three times a week.’
02 Explore
The fitter I got, the more freedom I had to explore and I found myself venturing to new places. Prior to marathon training, I’d never been along the Thames towpath; I’d never run through the woods with deer in Richmond Park. One of my favourite phrases is: ‘I wonder what’s down there?’ because it keeps me moving. As the years have passed, running has taken me all over the world, and without it, my experiences wouldn’t have been nearly as memorable.
03 Sleep well
Sleep, sleep and more sleep. This is still one I struggle with, but I’m getting better at achieving my eight hours a night. Why? Sleep replenishes and repairs our bodies. Lack of sleep also increases perception of effort, which means that when you haven’t slept enough, running feels harder. And why would you ever want that?
04 Have fun and try new things
Something that dawned on me early on is that running can be a little boring and ever so slightly repetitive. Even with a realistic goal, I noticed I still needed something else: the fun element. So I’d introduce little games to my training. I’d try to beat a bike or car to the lights; I’d speed up if I saw a white van and slow down if I saw a convertible; I’d imagine my street as a final straight on a track and my block as the Olympic Stadium. Instead of just going for runs that took me to and from home, I’d arrange to meet friends at coffee shops – anything to give my run a little more purpose or to make me smile. What are you waiting for?
05 Ask questions and immerse yourself in community
When I got into running, I sought out people who knew more than I did and asked them questions. I read books and magazines; I watched movies and listened to podcasts. I wanted to know how they made this thing that I found so hard look so easy. I went looking for my tribe by way of a running club, then crew, then brand. Now they’re family. Have you found yours yet?