8 Running Tips to Stay Motivated When You Aren't Training for a Race
Photo by Marques Jackson at #WhatLiftsYou mural in NYC by Kelsey Montague Art.
By Marnie Kunz
It can be hard to stay motivated for running if you’re not signed up for any races. Whether you want to lose weight or just stay fit and active, you can still get on track with your running. Here are 8 running tips to stay motivated to run when you aren’t training for a race:
1. Join a fitness challenge. Whether you want to join one of our Runstreet Challenges or other fitness challenges, these fun fitness competitions push you to defeat your biggest obstacle - yourself! Challenges can range from miles — like running 100 miles in a month — to cross training — such as the push-up challenge or plank challenge.
2. Set a goal each month. Breaking your big goals down into smaller milestones will help you stay accountable and keep you on track. A new month is a great time to work toward a new goal and you can build on previous months’ training. For instance, if your big goal is to run a half marathon, you can set the goal to build your long runs up to 8 miles in one month as you ramp up your endurance. You can add more miles to your long runs the next month as you continue to prepare for your half marathon.
3. Follow basic training principles. Incorporate some key running principles into your training to prevent burnout and injuries. Progressive overload is a technique that gradually puts more stress on your body during workouts, helping prepare you for higher levels of performance. Basically this means add more intensity and miles to your running program gradually. A good rule of thumb is to add no more than 10 percent to your miles each week as you build endurance. So if you run 10 miles one week, you can add 10 percent — or 1 mile — to your program the next week to run 11 miles total. In addition, if you are running to lose weight, you can follow these training principles.
4. Track your progress. Seeing your progress is easier when you have a record of your workouts and running pace. Use a running app like Strava or Nike Run Club to track your miles and workouts. You will get stats on your pace and milestones. These running apps are a great way to help you stay motivated and share your running progress on social media if you’d like.
5. Master your mind. For many of us, the mental challenges are the most difficult during pandemic life. Practice meditation and visualization to cultivate a more positive, disciplined mindset. Just 5 minutes of meditating every morning can make a difference in how much you get done — including your running — for the day. If you need guidance, try a meditation app like Calm to get started.
6. Mix it up. Monotony can kill your joy, so add something different to your running program. Instead of running the same loops in your neighborhood, go to a park or trail for a fresh perspective on your run. You can also change up your music by creating a new running playlist. Break up some of your base run workouts by adding some bodyweight circuits like burpees, push-ups and lunges.
7. Try a virtual race. Sign up for a virtual race. Virtual racing is what you want it to be - some people run to support a cause they believe in, others run for cool medals or theme races, and others want to compete and earn prizes. One of the best benefits of virtual races is getting motivated to run.
8. Take a break. it sounds counterintuitive, but we runners can be very hard on ourselves, and with the challenges of pandemic life, it is easy to get worn down more than usual and burn out. If you’ve been training consistently and the though of running makes you want to dive into the couch, you may be burned out. Give yourself a rest day to enjoy non-running related hobbies like hiking, cooking, movies, reading, or yoga. Chances are, you’ll miss running in a day or two and will be ready to start fresh.
How have you been staying motivated to run during coronavirus times? Comment below with your running tips.
Related Posts: 6 Running Tips to End Your Slump, Best Training Principles to Lose Weight, 6 Tips to Visualize Running Success
Marnie Kunz is a NASM-certified trainer and USATF- and RRCA-certified running coach, a dog lover, an Akita mom, and the founder of Runstreet. She is based in Brooklyn, New York.
