Stay The Path {the bike path}

(image via pinterest)

If I've learnt anything over the last couple of years on my running journey it's this: your head will always give up long before your legs do.

Some things that help me to stay the path, literally.

*Get your clothes out the night before, if you plan to run in the morning. I am not a morning person. At all. Morning runs are my least favourite to start but my most favourite to end. It puts me in a fantastic mood and I am way more efficient on the mornings I run...if I get out of bed. To combat this I have been known to sleep in my run clothes, put my alarm on the other side of the room so I have to get out of bed to turn it off and to put super motivating songs as my alarm ring tone.

*Sometimes if I'm toying with the idea of not wanting to run, I tell myself that I only have to run for 5mins and if I'm still not feeling it I can come home. I am yet to come home. 

*Once you're out there your brain will bombard you with all the reasons that you should stop. You have to find a way to switch these off. Try not to get ahead of yourself and your planned run distance. Don't be thinking about how far you still have to go but instead break it into manageable chunks. Sometimes I tell myself I just need to get to the next light pole/driveway/big tree etc. I often find that once I get there I'll try to get to the next one. You can usually go further than what your mind will tell you that you can.  Another option is to find a couple of good running quotes that help to motivate you. I love "I Am Healthy, I Am Strong. I Can Do This All Day Long". Dorky & rhyming; what's not to love! Repeating them over and over when you're wanting to chuck in the towel might be all it takes to get you through. Other suggestions include counting your steps or listening to a podcast. Anything that takes your focus off how your body feels.

*New run clothes, shoes or even a few new songs on your playlist can do wonders in keeping you running or getting you back out there. Music is pretty key for me. Some runners, like Josh, prefer not to use music so they can listen to their breathing etc. Frankly, I'd prefer to to listen to anything other than my haggard, laboured respiration, but each to their own.

*Be accountable. The main reason for this challenge. Recruit a friend. Log your workouts on an app such a runkeeper, mapmyrun or strava. Having said that, a watch or timer on your phone will definitely help and should be one of your first purchases (along with a well fitting sports bra). If you know that someone is going to ask you how your runs have gone this week then you are more likely to do them. Sometimes this also helps me when I am on the path. If I'm out there and really struggling and considering stopping, I think about when Josh asks me how my run went. It helps me round up my time. If I'm at 17mins then I'd much prefer to tell Josh I did a full 20min run than say 17 so I struggle through to make it a whole number. Just sounds better.

*Surround yourself with people who are encouraging and supportive of your run journey. 

*Take it slow and progress incrementally. The danger when starting a challenge is to go all out and get frustrated when things aren't happening as quickly as you wanted. I literally started running for 30sec and then walking until I felt I could do another 30sec and built from there. If I ran continuously for 3mins last run then I'm going to aim for 3mins30sec next run.

It doesn't matter if you are a seasoned runner or a newbie, at one time or another you will definitely 'hit the wall'. Don't let a bad run side track you. Just get back out there and keep going. Let's #getourrunon today.

Get Your Run On

(image via pinterest)

Alright, so recently I wrote about my running journey; where I have come from & where I currently am. The things I have battled with as a complete non-runner. You can read about it here. As I mentioned, I have a new found freedom in running when I want, for as long as I want without laying any guilt trips on myself. However, I’ve been feeling that it’s time to shake things up a bit.

I have entered a race. The Brisbane 10km run on the 3^rd of August. This actually means I need to run more regularly, with (dare I say it)…a training plan.

I was encouraged recently by a friend to ‘put it out there’. Maybe blog about it even. She was actually interested in joining me. Could I create a little community of people who are all on a similar journey?

I am no expert. Not at all. But I do totally know what it’s like to be a non-runner & wish you were. I do know what it’s like when you first start out. Most of all I know how it feels to achieve something you didn’t think was possible.

How about you? Are you a complete non-runner? Do you want to give running a crack? Have you run 5km once, a long time ago & want to step things up a bit? See, I don’t think we have to have exactly the same goals or be at the same fitness level to encourage and hold each other accountable. Its especially vital at this time of year when it’s cold, and lets be honest, there are way too many reasons to ditch the exercise! Research shows that you are 90% more likely to work out if you are doing it with a friend*. We may not be running side by side or even in the same town but I reckon we can get the same benefits of a supportive environment. 

Interested yet?

Here are a few thoughts…

* Set a goal.

You will need an achievable, but still challenging goal. I have picked a 10km race but maybe yours is a 5km race. You can definitely choose to just allocate a distance, measure it out & run it on a set day but I personally don’t find it motivating enough. There is nothing like paying money to enter a race to help me to stick to a plan! This run calendar has a pretty comprehensive list of many different races & distances. 

* Find a plan.

For me I am writing one based on a few I have looked at online. Mine will be 8 weeks but you could easily do 12weeks. I like to print off a calendar, a month to a page and then look at when I could fit my runs in. Then I stick it on my fridge so I constantly see it. I can then cross it off as I go. I am going to roughly base mine on three runs a week. If you google ‘run training programs’ you can pretty much find one for every distance & every ability. You might find that some programs include some speed sessions or fartlek training (say what?) & those things are all helpful, but in the end, lets just keep it simple, just run, three times in a week. Find a plan that works for you & put it somewhere you can see it.

* Just do it

Um yeah, totally the hardest part. I could faff about with training programs & using different colours for different workouts until the cows come home. I tend to have an ‘all or nothing’ attitude which is totally not helpful. I have been known to miss a training session purely because I couldn’t make three sessions that week?!? Choose a time that works for you & schedule it in as an appointment.

So…who’s in?

Tell me your story, your goal & your timeframe.  I would love to know where you’re at & whether you’re interested in joining me. Comment here or find me on instagram. (old_new_and_blue), hashtag your km's and your journey and lets #getourrunon 

*I totally just made that up. But I truly think it's legit anyway.