Even the most avid runners will admit, though, that it can get boring and repetitive, and getting your daily steps in can seem like a chore rather than a joy some days. But it doesn’t have to be like this.
So we reached out to a few running experts to find out how to put some pep in your step and actually look forward to tightening your laces, plugging in your headphones, and hitting the trails.
No matter if you’re an experienced runner, a newcomer, or someone looking for a reason to start running, these tips can help you break the monotony and make your runs more fulfilling and exciting.
Finding new places to run makes it a more novel experience. Seek out new trails or paths in nature; There’s a lot of beauty out there that can be inspirational in these trying times. Jim Hurt, head coach of track and field and cross country at St. John’s University in Queens, NY, recommends running in parks, by a river trail or simply around the neighborhood.
“Being outside is actually good as long as not with a crowd of people,” Hurt says. “More free time means going a little bit longer, staying out a couple more minutes and spending time outside.”
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Track your run on apps
“Sharing where you’ve run is an exciting thing to do,” Fordham University’s Cross Country and Track and Field Heach Coach Brian Horowitz says. “It allows you to feel good about your experience and at the same time motivate others.” He specifically recommends Strava, Garmin or the Nike running app. Of course, posting on social media does the trick, too. This allows others to see how long you’ve run, and give them the motivation to get out.
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Challenge a friend
While social distancing can put a damper on seeing friends and family, setting challenges against them makes for some fun you can’t get in person right now.
If someone you know is out there doing it, so can you, and it also brings out our competitive sides. Challenge them to see who can run a mile faster, or who can log the most steps in a week. Some friendly competition never hurt anyone!
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Set a goal
“Setting a goal drives us,” Horowitz says. Whether it’s being able to run a certain distance, or run for a specific amount of time without stopping, setting goals helps us stay motivated and driven to constantly improve no matter the circumstances. So try to break a time barrier in a mile or a 5k, spend some extra time on core strength or flexibility. Whatever you’re aiming toward, having a goal keeps your eye on the prize.
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Listen to music or a podcast
Fall even more in love with running while enjoying a podcast, album, or any type of audio that interests you to accompany your run. Running in itself is a great way to escape, but with the right tunes it can be a magical experience.
Apps such as Spotify offer all the music there is to offer to pump you up, as well as podcast options ranging from comedy to true crime and so much more.
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Vary your types of training
Whether it’s a speed workout, tempo run, interval training, hill workout, a long, easy run or fartlek run, having a variety in your training keeps things exciting. Horowitz recommends setting a plan for each time you run where you try different types of running routines.
Hurt notes with additional free time most people have now, it might be a good time to work on things you normally wouldn’t be able to do. “A lot of runners don’t have time to work on form A skips and B skips,” Hurt said. “Warm ups are important to balance right and left sides, become more efficient with form and flexibility training for before and after runs.” Just like in the gym, you might do upper-body one day, and lower-body the next. The variety in running workouts will work different systems in your body and get you in better shape.
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Meet up with a friend (but stay at a distance)
Nearly all professional runners’ first tip to making a run more enjoyable is to meet up with fellow runner friends. If you choose to run with friends at the moment, it’s best to be at a distance. A way to make the most of it still is to start your run at the same place, but a few minutes apart so that you’re still technically on the same run.
Gaby Campos, an avid marathon runner from Connecticut, discovered her love for running just a few years ago, but said she also owes her passion to the people she’s met along the way through running with Los Runners, an entity of the New York Road Runners. “I’ve been running with them for two years,” Campos said. “We are just a group of runner friends and it makes running so much more fun.”
