8 Ways to Motivate Yourself to Run

Let’s be real here. There are some days that I wake up and the last thing I want to do is go for a run. I have a million excuses I have used, ranging from the weather to a busy schedule to not feeling well. However, nine times out of ten, my excuses are not legitimate, and I just need a little push to get out the door. Below are eight ways to motivate yourself to run that have helped me over the years when I am having a hard time getting motivated to run for whatever reason.

1.) Buy some new gear: Running in new shoes or wearing cute new capris always makes me feel lighter, faster, and happy. Try wearing something new and see if it motivates you to get out the door.

2.) Find a new route: I have the attention span of a gnat. I am constantly jumping from thing to thing, so as you can imagine, running on the same roads over and over again gets really boring to me. If I know I am going to be bored, it is so much harder for me to lace up for a long run, so I try to pick different neighborhoods to run in to keep things interesting.

3.) Start a training plan: If I am running aimlessly without a goal in mind, I will quickly lose focus and purpose. I am not one of those people that can just go out and run thee miles four times a week with no end goal. Finding a training plan where I am running different distances and speeds every time helps to keep me form slacking.

4.) Sign up for a Race: I don’t like to waste money. If I pay for a race, gosh darn it, I’m going to run it, so I may as well train for it.

5.) Join a running club: This has been a more recent development for me, and I have done several runs with our local Fleet Feet. It keeps things interesting, and the idea of prizes and free drinks at the end of a run is very motivating!

6.) Tell everyone: I love this one, because it is the whole reason my blog got started! I started it as an online accountability journal while I was getting ready for my first half marathon. I knew if I put it “out there” on the internet that I was running a race, I would have to actually train!

7.) Reward yourself: I personally don’t like using food related rewards, but something fun like a pedicure or a new running top could be a way to reward yourself for sticking with your training plan for a week or a month. Try it!

8.) Learn about yourself: Sometimes I “think” I know myself, but turns out I was wrong or that my preferences have changed. Are you hating your runs because you are trying to do them all at night, but you are a morning person? Try to learn about yourself and see what the underlying problem is as to why you don’t want to go on an individual run and see if it’s something you can fix or change.

QOTD: What is your best tip for motivating yourself to run?