Winter’s here - at least in the northern hemisphere. Soon, (almost) everyone’s New Year’s resolution fervor will have died down, and many will have a hard time finding the will to run. If you find yourself feeling the winter blues, here are some ideas to help you get off the couch.
1. Enter a race
Preferably a spring race that’s not so far in the future that you’ll be able to put off training for it. And, if you haven’t been running regularly, make sure it’s a shorter race distance like a 5K or 10K so you’ll have enough time to train adequately.
Who this will work for - Those that are motivated by competition. If that isn’t you, you might want to think about racing for a cause like Lizzie’s done - having a greater purpose than one’s self is a great motivator for many people.
2. Run with a friend
Try joining a group that has regular group runs, or simply make a regular date with a running friend to run with them.
Who this will work for - Those that are motivated by the social aspects of running. Having people to talk to, or not wanting to let a friend down, should keep you from blowing off a workout.
If you don’t currently have any friends that are runners, this tip still might work for you, but it’ll require a little work up front. If you’re a Facebook user, you might try searching there for a running group in your area. Or, go to your local running store and find out if there is a local running group you can join. Some stores may even have a regular group run you can attend.
3. Enter a virtual contest online
If you have a Nike+ system, you can join one of the many challenges on the Nike+ site. Or, if you use another online training log, see if they have something similar. For example, Buckeye Outdoors has a Leader Board where you can check how you’re doing against others who have made their logs public.
Who this will work for - Again, this tip will work best for those that are motivated by competition.
4. Compete against yourself
If you keep a log, look at your past entries from a year or so ago or any time you were running well and see where you were at. Based on your review, set some new goals for yourself, maybe a race or a distance you want to try to set a PR in.
Who this will work for - This tip will probably work best for those that are fairly self-motivated but need a push to get out of a temporary slump.
5. Do something completely different
Maybe you’ve been doing the same workouts for a while, and you’ve lost your motivation because you’re bored with your routine. If that describes you, try shaking things up a bit. If you always run slow, try doing a speed session, or if you always do hard workouts, do a slow, comfortable run for a change. Or get completely out of your routine and try taking a spinning class, doing some yoga, or going to a body pump class.
Who this will work for for - Anyone who is experiencing some temporary burnout. Sometimes after I’ve completed a race that I’ve been targeting for awhile, I just don’t feel like running, and doing something different for a few weeks helps me keep in shape until I feel like running again.
Need some more ideas? Check out the comments on this post at Runner’s World.
Meanwhile, I’d love to know your favorite tricks for making yourself get off the couch - so please leave a comment!
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