How to build a running habit & stay motivated

Motivation will come and go throughout your running journey but building a habit is what keeps you consistent. In this post I’m going to go through some different ways to build that running habit and then how to stick to it for the long term, as it’s the long term where the benefits are truly felt.

Blockers

First of all we want to try and overcome any mental blocks or excuses that you may have when it comes to running. There are many different blockers but some of the most common ones I’ve heard are as follows:

• “I’m too slow to be a runner” – no one is too slow to be a runner, everyone has to start somewhere and it doesn’t matter what that level is. It’s consistency over a period of time where the changes are felt
• “I don’t have time” – there is always time during the week/weekend, it then becomes a point of prioritisation, you have to make time for it. Think about how much time you might watch TV or be on social media throughout the week, easily enough time to squeeze in a run. Everyone talks about the long run, but not every run needs to be 2 hours long, 15/20 minutes is also a good one. 
• “I’m not motivated” – no one is always motivated to go for a run, but it’s the action of going for a run that then creates the motivation. Don’t wait for it to come to you as you may be waiting a long time. 

Once you’ve got over the potential hurdles to get into running consistently, then it comes down to, how do you make it part of your routine so then it just becomes as natural as getting a coffee in the morning. 

Building the habit

There will be many different ways that people can do this, and at the end of the day it all comes down to preference but I’m going to share some of my own that have worked for me.

• Put your runs in the calendar as you would a meeting at work, so for me a non-negotiable is a track day, which I used to do with Your Friendly Runners in East London every Tuesday. This leads me on to my next point.
• Join a social run club, pretty much all run clubs will have a run during the week and on the weekend. Try out different ones to find the one that works for you. By going consistently you’ll also get the chance to get to know people in that group, who will then suddenly become your friend.
• I’m a big fan of a morning run, a wonderful trick here is to lay out your clothing the night before, this kind of mentally forces you to go for a run in the morning as you’re already prepared for it. This especially works when it’s a cold morning.

Accountability

Set yourself a goal, don’t just say you’ll run more. For example, this could look like, I’m going to run 3 times a week for 2 months. Then add icing to the cake by signing up to an official race to celebrate that achievement. This not only motivates you to run week on week but also gives you a sense of pride when you finally reach that goal. This feeling of achievement will then propel you to wanting to keep going, learn more, improve.

The final one I wanted to touch upon is.

Find your community

There are social run clubs popping up left right and centre in all the cities across the world, so whatever you’re looking for, I’m pretty sure you’re going to find it. Go, before you know it, these people will become your friends and you never know where that might lead. These places are great, not only for helping to push yourself, motivating you to run but are full of runners of all abilities who can help and support you as well. I’m pretty sure you will have a friend or multiple friends who run as well, why not go for a run and coffee with them on the weekend? It’s a great way to chat and catch up. You can also treat yourself to an almond croissant after as well, why not, you deserve it.

If you’re looking to give yourself a goal and don’t know where to start or how to get there. Get in contact and we can discuss putting together a plan for you.