Here’s 4 real world tips for running motivation.
Virtual Races
From the most coveted races in the world like the @nycmarathon runners like you and I can run them all. Without the logistics and limits, your body will be the only thing holding you back lol. There is always a shot of adrenaline once you sign up and commit to a race. That doesn’t change with the virtual race as the clock and leaderboard still push that competitive button inside you.
Challenges to motivate you
Without an in-person race on the calendar that motivation to get out there and log the miles can be lacking and that’s where the virtual challenge comes in. My friend Greg encouraged me to join a 202 Summer Miles Challenge. It sounded simple enough, run 202 miles during the Summer Solstice. The motivation to run became easy as you had to keep up with your weekly mileage. You tracked your progress by logging your miles on the website. Breaking it down and planning out the runs through the heat of the summer, family commitments, and some limited travel became that comfortable training rhythm. Try it yourself with my new favorite the Global Run Club
Virtual Team motivation
Running motivation amps up to a whole new level with a virtual team. Never having run with a team I was skeptical that it would motivate me to run. The comradery of working towards a goal was the spark. You might even find fellow runners that you never met before that run some of the same routes that you do. Mary Murphy from Gear Junkie collected six places to find your own virtual team
Running Watch + App – ultimate motivator
You’ve probably used your phone to track your runs and adding in a running watch is a big boost for running motivation. The Garmin Forerunner 35 was my entry into running watches. I was looking for something to help me with pacing that was easy to see while training for my first marathon. It was on my wrist as I ran the five boroughs of the @nycmarathon in 2019 and it worked fantastic. Just the other week, I downloaded and connected the watch to the free Garmin smartphone app. The depth of information that this basic watch gives me on my runs has amped my running motivation because it’s shed light on my new motivation running cadence. I’ve increased my cadence and been able to get immediate feedback on my form that is going to drop my times and reduce the impact the miles have on my body.
Sights on the run
Your motivation can sometimes come from finding the right place to log those miles. I always look for something inspiring to see on the run. Here are some of my favorites from the last couple of runs. Enjoy and I’ll see you out there!
