3 Tips to Make Your Runs Fun Again
- by Sarah Richardson |
- ChiRunning, Running Tips
Do you ever see people running who totally have their “runners mojo?”
They look light, airy, carefree, and most of all… Like they ENJOY IT!
And then, do you ever see people who look like they’re in pain and would rather be doing anything else?
As a Healthstyle Coach and Chi Running Instructor, I meet lots of people who run only to burn calories, check it off of their to-do list, use their cool technology to micro-analyze their performance, or as a punishment for food choices they made earlier in the day.
None of these leave room for fun and sets up a dysfunctional relationship with the sport. I think it’s really important for your run to become fun again so that you’re motivated to do it over and over, again and again.
Wouldn’t it be great to love your run and routinely experience a runner’s high not just during an event.
Here are my top 3 tips to make your running fun again:
#1: Make Your Run Therapeutic.
Create a run that leaves your mind, body, and spirit feeling rejuvenated after its completion.
Many runners push through their workout completely focused on other tasks and just cram it into their day. Exercise has become something to burn calories and check off of a to-do list.
I find the more I focus on running as a practice, something that heals my body and allows me to deepen my connection to self and place, the more rewarding my experience. It is amazing how when I’m fully present during my run how much I accomplished before and after. It’s like my mind is free to focus on what is necessary.
The therapeutic qualities of running of course go beyond the runner’s high and clearing your mind. There are countless physical health benefits of running. However, it’s so important to focus on what will motivate you to get back out there daily.
By focusing on running as your personal practice, you can clear your mind while enjoying the time you take for yourself. The better you feel, the more you’ll want to repeat it. Keep your goal on feeling better when you return from each and every run versus a check on your to-do list.
#2: Make Your Run Experiential.
Use your senses to fully experiencing the place you choose to run.
I see lots of folks addicted to their headsets, smartphones and stopwatches. There is absolutely a time and place for these gadgets but I wonder if their joy would increase if they were to unplug once in awhile?
When unplugged, you not only open the channels and hearing your body’s messages (which totally helps you avoid injury), you can also fully feel what the location has to offer. I’m probably one of the few who still has to measure my runs after the fact, using the USTAF map-it tool!
I love to be free of technology when I run. Maybe once a week I use my phone to measure my distance, use a metronome, or listen to a podcast. The rest of the days I find myself listening and watching out for wildlife, feeling the wind on my body, watching people, or just being inquisitive about what’s going on around me and within me.
Being intentional about my experience allows me to choose what type of run I want to have. If I need quiet I choose the woods for a trail run. If I need socialization I’ll hit the bike path or catch up with a local running group.
Planning races around sweet destinations is also a passion of mine. Running has literally immersed me in the global community. It’s allowed me to greet other cultures in a way that is personal, memorable and healthy. To lace up and explore a city is a completely different experience and one that I cherish. These memories motivate me to continue to take my runs in different ways all of the time, which keeps it experiential and fun. I invite you to do the same.
#3: Make Your Run Custom.
There is so much free material out there providing mileage and time schedules to follow while preparing for a race. And there is nothing worse than choosing a plan that is not tailored to your current performance level.
I’m here to remind you that you are the expert of your body. It’s so important to understand where you’re starting. I see people, over and over, trying to push beyond their current capabilities. This leads to injury and self-judgment, and fosters a dysfunctional relationship with running.
Many of my clients compare themselves to the runner they used to be (I have been guilty of this too) and it sets them up for disappointment and self-loathing. Nothing squashes the fun out of a run more than when your mind is saying, “Jeeze, I’m so slow,” or, “I can’t believe I can’t do “x” amount of miles anymore.”
When you customize your plan and meet yourself where you are, you can literally celebrate every run as an accomplishment.
It allows you to value your body’s capability in the moment, which deepens your love and appreciation for what it does for you. This increases the chances of your run also being therapeutic!
Soooooo…. When you bring in therapeutic qualities to your run it becomes more of a practice. You deepen your relationship with your body, which is positive and the motivating. When your runs are experiential and you enlist all five senses, you finish feeling more fulfilled, energized and stress free, which will make you want to run more. And by respecting your body and customizing your plan, you allow yourself to naturally improve overtime, gently and lovingly, without having to push and force which leads to injury. And running is now something to celebrate!
To learn more about this topic, follow my blog. I’ll be breaking each of these tips down further and teach you how to transform your runs.
In Conclusion:
Soooooo…. When you bring in therapeutic qualities to your run it becomes more of a practice. You deepen your relationship with your body, which is positive and the motivating.
When your runs are experiential and you enlist all five senses, you finish feeling more fulfilled, energized and stress free, which will make you want to run more.
And by respecting your body and customizing your plan, you allow yourself to naturally improve overtime, gently and lovingly, without having to push and force which leads to injury. And running is now something to celebrate!
To learn more about these topics, follow my blog. I’ll be breaking each of these tips down further and teach you how to transform your runs.
Hi, I'm Sarah!
I help struggling runners ditch excuses so they can get consistent, feel good and love running again.
Learn more about me and how I can help you here.
Let's Connect!
Feel good and love running again
The Anatomy of a Sustainable Running Practice is so much MORE than a training plan.
[et_bloom_inline optin_id=optin_4]
You can read how Sarah got back into running after an injury and learn the exact framework she uses to help other's do the same.
Share this post:
Sarah Richardson
Sarah Richardson, M.S., M.Ed., is a certified educator, Master ChiWalking/ChiRunning® Instructor and co-owner of ChiLiving. She is also the best selling author of From Sidelines to Start Lines: The Frustrated Runner's Guide to Lacing Up for a Lifetime and has been published in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Running for Good. In addition to teaching and running, Sarah loves to travel, write and take photos.