This material is for informational and educational purposes only and is not medical, psychological, or psychotherapeutic advice. If you are experiencing an acute psychological condition or need professional support, please contact a doctor, psychologist, psychotherapist, or crisis service.
Sometimes it is not easy. Especially if it's gloomy outside, and the weather clearly hints that it's cozier under a warm blanket. I will share some ways that help to get to the front door (as practice shows, it is already much easier behind it).
Good morning!
1. You definitely won't regret doing it, and you'll almost certainly regret not doing it
The return from running is always greater than the effort required to get out and start. I didn't have a single run that I had to regret - as a result, you still get a full set of bonuses in the form of great well-being, vigor, organized thoughts and a good mood. On the other hand, missed training sessions almost always leave an unpleasant residue and dissatisfaction with oneself. It is enough to record these feelings in your head, and then remember them at the right moment. For me, this method is one of the most effective.
You always feel better at the end than before (isn't it about the legs?).
2. Turn running into a habit
A normal person does not think about whether to brush her teeth or to put it off until tomorrow. It is a completely automatic action that does not require the connection of the brain. The process of gathering and going for a run can also be "automated":
- develop a ritual - a sequence of actions to be followed every time. After some time, the whole process will go smoothly, even without the need to wake up?
- prepare clothes and everything necessary in the evening, charge the watch. The fewer irritating trifles and "difficulties", the less likely it is to slip.
- allocate a clear time in the schedule. The most unsuccessful option is to plan a run "when you can." There are usually a thousand and one good reasons why you need to postpone it a little later, and it often ends with the fact that, oops, it didn't work out today. How to find time for jogging - useful ideas.
3. One step rule
The idea is borrowed from methods of survival during long training: when you run only to the nearest landmark, and not the entire distance, which is abnormally long. Everything is the same here: we only think about the next necessary action. When I don't feel like crawling out at all, I agree with myself that now I'll just get up and wash myself, and then, if anything, I'll go to bed. Then, so be it, I agree to drink a glass of water and look out the window. Then get dressed. And so on. It sounds primitive, like "I'll run to that tree and then I'll walk," but somehow it works.
By the way, the method is also good for complex training. For me, these are intervals and other speed work with a pace above the threshold - I know very well that I will get pleasure from a run only at the moment of its completion. Knowing in advance that it will be difficult and will have to endure, it will be more difficult to start, the cunning brain resists and looks for excuses. Then I decide to just go out and lightly shake at a comfortable pace. Of course, after 2-3 km, the body warms up, and the mood becomes more cheerful. Okay, let's do 1-2 intervals. Let's do it ... it's not so terrible, we can do better. We do more, as a result there is nothing left - there is an incentive to suffer and get a good workout.
4. Register for the race
I have already shared my thoughts on why an amateur should participate in competitions. When you sign up, you're setting the right goal: not a vague "run regularly," but measurable results and specific deadlines. The goal should not be easily achievable: it is better if it requires a slightly higher level than the current one. If you're new to running, it could be, for example, finishing a 5K race. Next, finish in a certain time or run 10 km already. There is room for development and new goals at any level.
Marathon registration works best for me - 99% of the brain's suffering on the topic "maybe not today" is automatically eliminated. At the moment of clicking the "Register" button, I am signing up not for 42195 meters, but for all the training that precedes it. A marathon is a demanding distance and doesn't forgive mistakes (it will hurt), but it's easier and more interesting for me to prepare well than to suffer and run on "morally painful" (c).
Useful: 7 questions to answer BEFORE registering for a marathon
5. Plan
Even if you are going to "just run for health", without goals and competitions, it is worth making a plan. It disciplines and allows you to intelligently and evenly distribute the load.
To me, a race preparation plan is a puzzle that needs to be put together. Each training is one of his pieces. To get a complete and beautiful picture, you need to collect all (okay: almost all) parts.
6. Run in the company
Pleasant company is a good incentive, especially for sociable people. The desire not to let down those who count on you and not to violate agreements usually overpowers laziness. However, there is also a condition: fellow joggers must be quite disciplined, otherwise there may be the opposite effect - you did not go, and I will miss training for your company.
7. Use social networks
Usually, strict true runners are contemptuous of beginner girls, who massively post their running selfies, legs in Nikes, and heroically covered kilometers on Instagram. For them, the motivation to start running was, of course, extremely spiritual in the form of a growing belly. If the desire to post in social networks at least sometimes makes you tear the fifth point from the sofa, then why not? The main thing is that it works, and then it is quite possible that another motivation will be found, a lot changes in the process.
Taking a photo after 35 km is sacred
Some are disciplined by virtual training reports - public or for friends. There will probably be a harmful and boring reader like me who will definitely notice the missed run and brazenly ask why you are deviating from the plan.
Gadget lovers unite and compete on tracking services, from Strava and Garmin Connect to Nike+. It's fun and allows you to add an element of competition even if you're running alone.
8. Do not forget about pleasure
Probably, there is something in running that you especially enjoy: speed, running through forests and mountains, training in a pleasant company, traditional coffee after ? I, for example, am an itinerant runner: I like to explore new routes or run old favorites, observe and consider. Almost all of my recovery and light training is in this format, and it's all rest and reset. I run at a comfortable pace, do not look at the clock, stop to admire the scenery.
In the pursuit of pace, mileage and progress, do not forget about the simple pleasure of the process - maybe then you will have to force yourself less and deal with the search for lost motivation.