Now in November, we’re nearing the end of the Fall racing season. Many runners like to take some well-earned time to recover during the Winter, but if you’re training for a Spring race, your program is just starting. Need some running motivation for those cold, dark Winter months? Read on to learn how I beat a common mental block, and the iconic catchphrase that helps. 

Where Does Your Running Motivation Come From?

It’s that time of day: time for your run. But you’re not feeling motivated. You’re tired, it’s cold, and it’s dark. You just don’t feel like lacing up and going outside. We’ve all been there. While each of these reasons may be valid, are any of them helpful? Should you really wait until you feel like it? 

A common mental block in running, (and in other aspects of life), is to wait until you feel motivated before taking action. But what if you never feel motivated? What if, the secret to feeling motivated, is to just get started anyway? Our bodies and minds are intrinsically connected, and they influence each other. Just as you can use psychology to tap into your body, say, challenging yourself in training, you can use this connection the other way round. You can use your body to influence and change your mind-state. 

You just don’t feel like lacing up and going outside. Should you really wait until you feel like it?

However, I’m not talking about ignoring or pushing through aches, pains, or illness. It’s always important to listen to your body, and seek professional, medical attention when necessary. This hack is purely for those days where you could go for your run, but you don’t feel like it–at the moment! In all likelihood, once you get started– and especially at the end– you’re going to be glad you did. 

Don’t Rely on Music for Your Running Motivation 

I love a good pump-up song, but I don’t think you ever want to be reliant on something external to motivate you for your run. In fact– and this might sound counterintuitive– one thing I swear by is never running with music. This forces me to be totally in the moment, enjoying the run and the world around me. It helps me tune into what my body is feeling, and what it’s needing. So much of our days can be filled with stuff and to-do’s; running with music, in my opinion, is just layering more noise onto the experience. If you feel like you just can’t run without music, that could be a sign that you’re pushing yourself too much, and running isn’t something you really enjoy for its own sake. Try running without music on your next run, and find out what your experience of running is, just by itself. 

How Making Enjoyment Your Primary Goal Beats Other Running “Motivation”

If you enjoy what you’re doing, you won’t need to rely on external conditions being “just right.” 

I love challenging myself with a faster pace, longer distances, or a sprint workout. But I truly enjoy the process of running, and I never run something just to “get it over with.” To me, that’s not a great way to go through life. Since running is something “optional,” why should it be treated like a chore? Sure, it’s great to set goals, but crossing the finish line and hitting that PR are such small moments in the grand scheme of running, and most of your time is spent in your weekly training runs. If you’re living for your goal, consistently treating running like a chore, it’s a recipe for burnout. This ultimately makes it so much harder to meet your goals! However, if you enjoy what you’re doing, then your motivation is intrinsic, and you won’t need to rely on external conditions being “just right.” So I want to encourage you to make enjoyment your primary goal for any run or race you do. 

To cultivate joy in your run, first reflect on your current relationship with running. Ask yourself questions like:

• How do I feel when I’m running? 
• Why am I choosing to run instead of doing any other activity? 
• What could make the experience of running more enjoyable for me?

Lacking Running Motivation? Just Do It.

Perhaps this is why Nike’s famous slogan, “Just Do It,” is so impactful. With great simplicity, it cuts straight through all excuses, mental blocks, and attachment to goals and gets right to the point. To me, it means that if you want something, don’t wait for external things to fall in to place, don’t even wait for motivation, “Just Do It.”  And why should you do it? For the enjoyment of it. 

Ready to level up your running? Reach out for a free consultation for individualized, virtual, 1:1 coaching with me!