"I want to run but I just never seem to be able to stick to it."
"I'll run really well for a fortnight and then do nothing for a month."
"I have good intentions but something else always comes up."
Sound familiar?? If it does then you're not alone. I cannot count the number of times I have had this conversation with people, and my advice is always the same. You need to make it a habit.
Find someone or something to be accountable to. Do whatever you need to do to make those first few runs happen.
Yes, habits are easy to break but they are also surprisingly easy to form IF you are realistic. It's no good setting the alarm for 4am every morning if you're a night owl. No matter how hard you try, that is never going to feel like a great idea, and while the initial enthusiasm and determination might see you through a couple of weeks, at some point the owl on your shoulder is going to have serious words. Likewise, if you work 12 hour shifts then you need to be really honest with yourself about how you feel before or after those shifts. Maybe a run is what you need, maybe it really isn't...if the latter is true then don't even think about trying to force one in. Pick another time instead. The key is to find a slot that genuinely works for you - not one that you think 'should' work for you or that works for Joe next door. It's your run - it can and should happen whenever YOU want it to.
Once you've worked out when your ideal time is, the next thing to do is put it in the diary. Not in pencil but in permanent, indelible ink. Circle it. Double underline it. Go over it in glitter pen. Do whatever you need to make that time stick - in your diary and in your head. Give it the same level of respect you would give to a meeting with a friend, or an appointment with the dentist. That time is yours, it's ring-fenced and unless there is an emergency or you're ill there is no reason you should have to sacrifice it. Of course...there may be reasons you secretly want to sacrifice it. Maybe it's raining or you're tired or you're just a bit daunted by the whole thing. They are all legitimate reasons for your motivation to wane but...no. This is about forming a habit, remember? Be firm with yourself. You booked that slot because this matters to you. If it matters to you then it is important.
Be firm with yourself. You booked that slot because this matters to you. If it matters to you then it is important.
So you've booked your slot, you've said no to the 349 other things that have no doubt competed for the same slot (busy parents, I hear you - I really do) and now you need to actually get out there and do the run. Whatever you do, Make. It. Manageable! Don't try and do too much too soon. Habits are more easily formed when our bodies have a positive response to something, and while the endorphins might be cruising through your veins in the initial aftermath, if you wake up the next morning and need to crawl to the bathroom you are not going to feel like running again. Work within your current limits and don't be afraid to start small. Start really small if it helps you get out of the door. And if you're a more advanced runner then be realistic about your time and mileage. One super long run a week does not win any points for consistency if you're missing all the runs in between.
Find someone or something to be accountable to. There is absolutely NOTHING wrong with a good old-fashioned tick chart if that's what helps. We are simple beings and a tick in a box can be all that's required to keep us accountable to ourselves. If that doesn't work for you then find something that does. Arrange to text a friend or tell a family member when you've been out. Post it on social media. Reward yourself with a nice coffee or an indulgent bath afterwards. Do whatever you need to do to make those first few runs happen.
If you stick to your plan and get out regularly then before long something magic will happen. You'll start to feel those diary entries in your bones without needing to check them. Your body will start anticipating the run before you've even put your trainers on. The beauty of a habit is that once it is truly formed (ie not just a good week, or '3 runs in a row') it really is easier to maintain it than it is to break it. And with habit comes consistency. And consistency is worth more than anything else in the training handbook.
Make it a habit and you won't look back.
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