Run Because You Want To

Coming up on my 6th anniversary as a runner, my partner asked me what I’ve learned in my years running. As I scroll back through the memories - my first race, my first half marathon, running along the Mediterranean, running along Lake Austin - I am hit with a tiny remnant of the feeling of each run. From the beginning, running had it’s rewards and it’s cost, it’s triumphs and defeats. I’d like to think I’ve improved, or at least stopped making so many mistakes. Running used to be something I had to do rather than something I got to do. Now, I am free when I run. I am capable when I run. I accomplish something every run. Here’s how I have learned to change my mentality.

Find your inspiration. For me, that is my dog Bear. I started running the summer before college, but really half assed the effort. None of my friends were super into exercise or athleticism, and it demotivated me to get out the door. I’d run once or twice a week, but I never improved. When I got Bear in 2015, my last year at school, everything changed. His boundless 7-month-old energy pushed us out the door on the first day I had him. I had to do something to wear him out. We ran 2 minutes and walked 1 minute around the golf course by my house. We ran my first ever 5k that day. Since then, he runs with me, trains with me, takes rest days with me, and finishes half marathons with me. Moral is, find someone who will encourage you to get on the trail.

Go easy on yourself. A solid walk/run is just as important and effective as a 5k at an easy jog. Coach Bennet on the Nike+ Run Club app encourages runners on recovery runs, early runs, and even long runs, to stop and walk if they need to. The rest pushes you to the finish line, it doesn’t detract from it. Focus on finishing the distance or time, even if you walk half the run. Your body will adjust, your muscles and lungs will improve. Even though I’ve been running for 6 years, that hill may still wipe me out, or it may be 90 degrees at 8am, so I go easy on myself. Consistency outweighs burn-out every time.

Consistency is key. I try to run at least 3 times a week. At times, I would run every day before work. I’ve found that the more I run, the more I want to run, and the better I can move through the rest of my day. Goals help me with consistency: training for a race, getting 15 runs in a month, running 60 miles in a month, etc. These small goals help me to create consistency, and the consistency lets me add larger goals. Consistency creates a delightful cycle.

Don’t skip your cross training. I started practicing yoga about a year after I started running and it taught me how to breathe. I started taking tabata classes and incorporating cardio the spring that I got Bear, and it helped me to keep up with him. Whenever I would train for a race and neglect my strength workouts, I would inevitably injure myself. However, I partnered yoga and circuit training with my first half marathon training, and finished my first race in just over 2 hours, without injury. This summer, I’ve been following a Fitness Blender program that includes 5 days of strength training and/or HIIT that I use to supplement my running, and I’ve noticed a huge difference in my body’s power as a climb hills or sprint.

Find your support system. For me, Bear, my Nike+ Run Club app, my partner, and my training plans support me and push me forward. Nike+ has podcasts that I will listen to on days I need coaching or encouragement. Bear wants to run every day, even twice a day. My partner is also a runner and when we run together, I feel so free and happy. My training plans have helped me reach goals that I thought were far from my reach.

Rely on your route, but explore as much as you can. In every neighborhood or city I’ve lived in, I’ve found my route - that mid-distance trail through neighborhood, city park, and even downtown. I relied on the familiarity and auto-pilot that a well-established route contributed to tackle recovery runs, add distance, and increase speed. However, this started to cost me: muscles improve with variance as well as routine. I started incorporating a forest run along Barton Creek in Austin, a hill run at Riverplace, and in Denver, I try to get out to the mountains and run in the elevation to switch things up. Running in the beauty of nature and the unfamiliar adds a whole new level to the endorphins and reward of the run.

These are general pieces of advice, but running is different for every body, every season, every climate, and every distance. If you can find inspiration, go easy on yourself, create consistency, cross train, embrace support, and vary your route, you’ll find it easier to lace up, unlock new distances and speeds, and enjoy your run. If it’s not going to be fun, why do it?