Tips for Beginning Runners – Motivation
One of the more important aspects of running is staying motivated. It might be hard to get in a run depending on your crazy schedule. As running becomes part of your regular routine, you will have an easier time to stay motivated. Also, as you begin to shed pounds, get lean, increase your endurance and decrease your pace, these will all help motivate you.
As I began running again I was not properly motivated. I could barely run two miles and old injuries would begin to flare up. Keeping my head in the game, I would go to the gym to do some strength training on the trouble spots as they began to feel better. Unless you run with a friend or trainer pretty regularly it is sometimes tough to stay motivated. Some of the items below are some of the ways that I have been able to stay motivated.
Friends – Connect with friends that like to run. Your friends will help motivate you as they check in on your progress, compliment you on your new appearance and share your little victories with you. Friends that run or like to stay fit are always a great source of motivation.
Online Communities – There are many fitness communities online that you can connect with people and share insight and motivation. The communities really help as you track your progress during your training. My personal favorite and one recommendation would be Daily Mile. Daily Mile allows you to connect with friends, track your progress, share tips and motivate each other.
Equipment – As you begin to run more and more, you will begin to notice that you need the right equipment. There are many tracking devices available out there and some will even help you do a better job of managing your pace. Tracking devices play an important part in my motivation as I am able to see throughout my training how I am progressing. As a side note, the right shoes can be considered important in motivating because, if you do not have the right ones, you can get hurt and there is nothing more de-motivating than being sidelined.
Music – I always run to upbeat music. Positive upbeat music can help you with your pace. It will also help you to clear your head on long runs so you are not thinking about how much longer you have to go. Sometimes the tempo of the music can really help you to adjust your pace. I recommend having a separate running playlist or even several of them.
Register for a Race – It always helps to stay motivated if you have something that you are working towards. Depending on your level of training, register for a future race. Regardless of how long that race is, you will have something to train for as you get your runs in.
Stay Injury Free – This one is easier said than done. As you run more frequently you will become more in tune with your body. Getting an injury definitely will put a damper on your training and your progress, so be smart about increasing your distance and how often you run. The minute anything feels strange, try to address it as soon as you can.
Hopefully these tips will help you to become more motivated as you begin your running. Feel free to share any other motivating factors that you might find useful.
Next up: It’s got to be the shoes!
I am an IT Project Manager, runner, blogger, baseball fan and gym rat. When I am not at my computer, I am burning enough energy to power one.
Hi everyone. Like all things in life if you want to achieve something – you have to have a strong reason ‘Why’!
When you start running, or come back to the sport after a break, you have to have something to aim for. Give yourself a target, a goal you want to reach. Now that could be running a marathon distance or it could be to loose a certain amount of weight. What ever it is make sure you have a strong desire to achieve it. If the desire isn’t strong enough you won’t be motivated.
Try driving a route that will achieve you your desired distance (if it’s out on the road). Then find smaller routes within that one so you can build up slowly. If you go out too far too soon you’re more likely to get demotivated if you can’t complete the course. But don’t make things too easy either, you have to challenge yourself.
It’s that continued challenge, drive and goal setting that will motivate you to complete what ever you want. Why not have a look at one-stop-motivational.com for more ways to inspire and motivate you in your life. Good Luck, and happy running!
Thanks Sue! All wonderful points. Thank you for sharing. I especially like the idea of driving the route. I remember traveling to my first half-marathon thinking to myself, “Am I really about to run this?” Once I did it, it was pure motivation.