Stay Motivated to Run; Give Yourself Goal “Windows”

• 3 • Motivation
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2012 IMT Des Moines Marathon by Phil Roeder / CC 2.0

Setting your running goals for next week?  

Try this strategy:

Give yourself a goal “window” to accommodate how you’re feeling.  Rather than planning to run 5 miles on Wednesday, decide to run between 4 and 5.5.  If you get out there and you’re not feeling it, you can do the minimum.  If you’re having a great time, go a little extra.  Set the bottom point as the bare minimum you’d like to run, and think of the extra miles as a “bonus”.  It makes it easier to return home not feeling discouraged if you cut your run shorter than the ideal length because you weren’t feeling it.

If you give yourself a little flexibility most of the days you run, it’ll probably net out even by the end of the week.  (If you’re always doing the minimum or always doing the maximum, you may want to rethink your goals!)  Or, just do it on the days you know heading out the door that it’s going to be a tough running day.

If you feel obligated to go the extra mile, sometimes it’s not as fun!

I know I’ve turned back in defeat when my running goals for the day were too lofty.  If you can’t meet your goal, it’s hard not to quit once you’ve realized you’re not going to make it.  The feeling of defeat prevented me from running as many as I could that day.  Giving yourself a minimum and maximum goal can make you feel less defeated on those inevitable running days that don’t go well.

Happy running, and HAPPY FRIDAY!  Hope you have some fabulous weekend plans ahead of you.

Summer Running: Beat the Heat – Run for Time not Distance

• 3 • Motivation
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Clock Street by Jon Sullivan (Public domain)

Summer running can be brutal.  Not only is it hot, but the humidity can prevent your sweat from evaporating as quickly, making it even harder to cool down.

I’m on week 2 of my half marathon training, and for the coming week my running coach (www.TriJake.com) has suggested a brilliant summer running strategy: run for time, not for distance.

In the fall, running 30 minutes might mean 3 miles or more.  In the summer, with the heat and humidity factored in, it might take you several minutes longer and be a lot less enjoyable.  If you tell yourself you’re going to run 45 minutes and stop worrying about the distance you’ll cover, it will enable you to run a consistent effort from season to season.  Otherwise,  you’d have to increase your effort in the summer to match your results from cooler seasons.

I went out for a 30 minute run this morning, left my GPS watch at home, and enjoyed running a sustainably hard effort without feeling demoralized by any numbers.  Fifteen minutes out, I turned around and ran home.

If you must run a certain number of miles, realize that in the summer heat something has to give.  Either you’ll run them slower or take more breaks than you would in the fall.  Choosing a variable to let slide is the only way to keep your effort consistent when the weather throws heat and humidity your way.  Unable to bend?  There’s always the treadmill!

Want to read more about running in the heat?  Check out these great articles from the experts at Runner’s World:

Running in the Heat by Jennifer Van Allen

Tips for Running in Humidity by Liz Plosser

 

A Great Running Quotation from John Bingham

• 0 • Motivation

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I love John Bingham, author of The Penguin Chronicles and champion of slower paced runners.  This particular quotation is from Running for Mortals: A Commonsense Plan for Changing Your Life With Running.  It’s an enjoyable read and particularly great for runners who are just starting out.

Be consistent, and just as important, be patient!  The gains are happening, they’re just too slow to notice right away.

 

 

 

Have you seen College Humor’s hilarious video about running?

• 2 • Motivation

Greg just showed me this hilarious video from collegehumor.com – “If People Talked About Other Hobbies Like They Talk About Running.”  If you haven’t seen it, it’s hysterical.  Watch it!

One word of caution: don’t let it keep you from talking about running the way you talk about running!  It’s fine, even healthy, to laugh at ourselves as runners.  But it’s also fine to acknowledge that it can be harder to motivate yourself to run than it is to sit down with the latest novel.  (And people still use accountability and motivational tools to do that – enter Good Reads and neighborhood book clubs!)

So have a good laugh at this video, and then keep on using the motivational tools that inspire you!

7 Ways Differently Paced Running Buddies Can Help Each Other

• 2 • Motivation

Friends with a super speedster?  Or maybe you’re the former track star, who has trouble finding someone to run with because your running buddies can’t keep up.  Don’t give up on your running buddies just yet!

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“Running Buddies” by Craig Howell / CC BY 2.0

Here are 7 ways runners of different paces can keep each other going:

1. Get each other out the door

Meet up with your differently paced friend and warm up together.  Take off in different directions, and then meet up for a cool down and a cup of coffee.  Knowing your friend will be meeting you at your cool down location will keep you close to your target pace so you don’t let them down.  Both of you will have an extra reason not to skip your morning run!

2. Help pace each other

Slow your fast friend down while they help you keep pace for a hard workout.  If they time a recovery run with your hard workout for the week, you may be more compatible than you think.  Many fast runners struggle with settling into a slower pace, but it can help them recover and prevent injury to take it easy on occasion.

3. Play running games

Head to the track and see how much of a head start the faster runner needs for you both to finish a lap at about the same time.  Compete.  Do a track relay where you tag off on hard laps, giving yourselves built in recovery time (if it’s too long, jog for half of it and then get ready to tag off).  Work on getting your combined 800 meter time down.  Find fun ways to compete against each other, or work with each other.  It will make it extra fun to run your hearts out!

4. Meet up for strength training

Strength training can decrease your risk of injury and increase your running performance, but so many of us forget to do it!  Meet up with your differently paced running buddy to get your strength training in.  Runner’s World explains the importance of strength training and gives you 10 exercise ideas here: http://www.runnersworld.com/workouts/10-essential-strength-exercises-for-runners

5. Be each other’s running coach

Time each other (and shout encouragement!) for track repeats.  Call each other after a long run to ask how it went, creating accountability.  Keep track of each other’s progress, and help encourage each other to meet goals.  Whether you want to run at least 15 days next month or decrease your mile time, it’s amazing to have a friend who is tracking your progress, providing encouragement, and who will be excited when you hit that mark.

6. Be research buddies

Brainstorm some running questions you have together.  Your running buddy may have already read a great running book with a full chapter on the topic, or may be similarly interested.  Meet up after a run to stretch and share.  You’ll be more likely to research and remember information about dynamic stretching if you know you’re going to explain it to a friend.

7. Sign up for the same race

Get excited together, swap training stories, and drive to the race together listening to your pre-race music.  Running the same race, even when you don’t run together, is such a motivating and fun experience.  Pre-race jitters are easier when you have company, and it can keep you going through those middle miles knowing someone is either waiting for you at the finish line or will be excited for you if you run a great race!

You don’t have to find a pace match to have a great running relationship with someone.  So much of supporting a friend on their running journey is done before and after the run.  If you can both run, you can find a way to run together, even if it’s just a few casual miles a week.  The rest of the time, you can be each other’s moral support, social connection, accountability and motivation.  Those are important things!