A major percentage of people who start to run eventually give up or don’t have the consistency necessary to improve and get better. This happens because, especially at the beginning, it’s very hard to stay motivated until you start to see results.
In this article I will share my personal technique to keep myself motivated after more than 9 years running consistently and I’ll also give you some tips that can help you achieve that too.
I used to run occasionally between 2008 and 2016, I’d be motivated for some periods of time and then I’d stop running for some weeks or even months. However, at the beginning of 2017 everything changed, I started to run regularly and stayed disciplined until today. But what changed back in 2017? I was the same person, I already liked to run, but for some reason I couldn’t keep myself motivated.
In my case — and I repeat, in my case, since it can be different for everyone — in 2017 I noticed how running was important for me, physically and mentally speaking, so I started to set goals for myself in order to not give up. At the beginning, they were short goals like “run an uphill without stopping” or “run 10 km without walking”. And these goals were very important for one reason: I started to see how I was improving every day. This can seem like a very basic reason but it’s one of the most important ones to keep you motivated, when you start to notice that you can run faster and for longer than the week or the month before, that makes you want to improve more and more.
Another important step to keep me motivated was an excel spreadsheet I created that year to track every kilometer I ran throughout the years. This was a game changer for me. Today, after more than 9 years, I still use this spreadsheet to write down how much I run every single day. Over the years, I kept improving this file by adding how much I run per year, month, week and day, as you can see in the next images:
Maybe later I will write an article talking only about this spreadsheet to explain with more detail how it works.
Strava was an important tool for my motivation and discipline as well. Before I’d used other running apps but none of them caught my attention. However, it was different with Strava, the design is better, the platform is friendlier and the fact that it’s like a social media site makes it better for runners who are just getting started. There you can follow other runners and try to learn with them, you can compare your efforts with your previous ones and see where you can improve.
All these things were equally important to keep myself motivated all these years and, of course, my passion for this sport had a major role in me becoming the runner I am today.
Now I’ll share some other tips for anyone who is starting to try to stay motivated. Some I’ve tried, some I’ve heard about from friends and others I’ve searched about and I decided to write them down to try to help you:
- Set clear and achievable goals: Setting specific, measurable and realistic goals can give you a sense of direction and purpose for your running. This can include short-term goals such as running a certain distance or time, or longer-term goals such as running a marathon or completing a trail running event.
- Mix up your running routine: Doing the same routes or training plan can become monotonous and boring. Mix it up by exploring new routes, running with different groups, or trying different types of running such as interval training, hill sprints, or even trail running.
- Incorporate cross-training: Incorporating other forms of exercise such as cycling, swimming, or strength training can help to keep your body challenged, reduce the risk of injury, and provide a mental break from the repetition of running.
- Find a running community: Joining a running club, group or social media community can provide you with a support system, motivation, and a sense of accountability. Having people to share your running journey with can also make the experience more enjoyable.
- Reflect on your progress: Reflecting on your progress, both physically and mentally, can help you appreciate how far you’ve come and remind you of why you started running in the first place. Keeping a training log or journal can be a great way to track your progress.
- Reward yourself: It’s important to celebrate your achievements and give yourself a pat on the back for your hard work. Reward yourself for reaching milestones or achieving a big goal, whether it’s buying a new pair of running shoes, treating yourself to a massage, or taking a vacation.
- Remember the mental benefits: Running can have a positive impact on mental health, such as reducing stress and anxiety, improving mood and self-esteem, and increasing focus and clarity. Remembering the mental benefits of running can help keep you motivated on days when you may not feel like running.
- Make it fun: Running should be something you enjoy and look forward to. Experiment with different activities that can make your running more fun, like running with friends, listening to music or audiobooks, or even taking your dog along.
It’s important to remember that motivation can fluctuate, and it’s normal to have good days and bad days. Stay consistent and don’t give up, with time and patience, you’ll find ways to keep yourself motivated and running for years to come!
