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6 Tips to Get the Running Habit Again

December 10, 2011 by Aleah 13 Comments

I knew it would be hard to get back to running again, after such a long absence. I knew I would have to face my biggest enemy—myself—when it comes to restarting the running habit. For years, I’ve been used to inactivity, and I definitely knew that it would be a challenge to get me out the door again.

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What I didn’t know, however, is that it would take my whole will power just to make me do what I loved doing most before. Oftentimes, the inertia of inactivity was so much stronger than me, and I found myself finding a hundred and one reasons not to run.
However, I have been running for a long time, and I occasionally go through this phase. Because of my lower back injury, this is the longest time I had been off running, so the struggle to get back to the sport is also as hard. To help me get back to running, I will use the following tips:

Make a public commitment to run again and to run consistently. By making it public, I can get the support of my family and friends who can help me in changing my lifestyle. My way of making a public announcement is through this blog post.

Reward yourself for meeting specific milestones. In my case, I need a new pair of running shoes and a cap. Should I succeed to run at least three times a week starting the second week of December up to the end of the year, I will buy myself a pair of gray and purple New Balance running shoes and a Runnr cap.

Don’t think, just do. Once, when I was scheduled to run, I found out that my greatest enemy is really myself. As I was preparing my running clothes, I caught myself thinking about all sorts of excuses not to push through, from the fact that it was getting dark, to a hundred and one other reasons, e.g., it looked like it was going to rain, I hadn’t cooked my  cats’ dinner yet. What was fascinating was that even though my mind was going a hundred kilometers an hour thinking about all those things, my hands and my feet kept moving of their own accord, taking my singlet, shorts, and shoes, and getting into them. While my mind was still thinking about what a bad idea it was to run, my body was already out the door.

Think about how good it would be to run hours before you’re scheduled to do so. This is to condition your mind that you will love running again. At least when the time comes, your will won’t be as hard to “convince” since you’ve prepared the way already.

Mark your calendar with a big X every time you run. I use a red marker to mark my huge calendar so every time I see it, I realize how much (or how little) I’ve been following my commitment to move. I feel very happy and accomplished when I see a lot of red Xs, and this, in turn, helps motivate me to run more.

Don’t pressure yourself. I had run a marathon before, so I have a tendency to push myself too much whenever I run now. If I find myself tiring, for example, after 5km, I would tell myself I’m such a sissy—if I could run 30km straight before without stopping, why not now? But then, I need to realize that I have to get back to zero, I have to start small, so that I can enjoy the activity more and make it easier for myself to get back into the habit of running.

At the moment, although I’ve begun running intermittently, it’s far from being a habit like it was before. Still, I’m getting there, and hopefully, with these tips, I will finally find my stride again.

How about you? What are your tips for getting back into the running habit?

Filed Under: running tips

Comments

  1. Kenley says

    December 13, 2011 at 7:27 pm

    My tip for myself in getting myself out the door, is that If I don't I will feel lousy and be unfit. Then I go and feel great all day.

    Reply
  2. Aleah says

    December 14, 2011 at 2:43 am

    I do feel lousy 🙁 Will run today, and that's a promise to myself!

    Reply
  3. Anonymous says

    December 16, 2011 at 6:00 am

    hi just registered ,, tina

    Reply
  4. Clint says

    December 22, 2011 at 3:39 pm

    I find the entry so inspiring! hope you could do whatever you wanted in your life right now! God bless you.

    Reply
  5. Sionee - kindlehearts says

    December 22, 2011 at 7:47 pm

    I have this post bookmarked. I hope I could follow your tips. I must and I will. 🙂 Thank you so much for sharing this! time to run!! 🙂

    Reply
  6. tatess says

    December 22, 2011 at 8:21 pm

    I have a very big place yard but too lazy to run or even go out of the house. running is a good exercise but not asthma friendly.i can run but need to take up medicine afterwards to brethe.

    Reply
  7. tatess says

    December 22, 2011 at 8:21 pm

    I have a very big place yard but too lazy to run or even go out of the house. running is a good exercise but not asthma friendly.i can run but need to take up medicine afterwards to brethe.

    Reply
  8. joy says

    December 22, 2011 at 9:58 pm

    i wish i could run too 🙁 sad to say i can't due to my heart problem 🙁

    Reply
  9. chrisair says

    December 23, 2011 at 12:21 am

    I don't want to run cause I don't actually want someone to caught my attention, the stupidiest reason on my mind

    Reply
  10. Jonathan says

    December 23, 2011 at 2:06 am

    I will keep this in mind when I'm training for my run this January, No SPEED LiMit

    Reply
  11. Manilenya Mom says

    December 23, 2011 at 2:36 am

    im not the outdoorsy type but when i do i prefer a little jogging and some aerobics 🙂

    Reply
  12. Gil Camporazo says

    December 23, 2011 at 5:03 am

    People run for they enjoy with their friends who are also running. People run for it is a regular activity in their working station. People run for their doctor advise them to do so in order to tone their body physique. People run for money, for publicity, for a cause. So whatever it is, it needs a determination, commitment and a purpose.<br /><br /><b>Gil Camporazo&#39;s latest blog:</b>  <a

    Reply
  13. Ivan Stewart Saldajeno says

    December 23, 2011 at 5:27 am

    I will run again on January.

    Reply

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