Running motivation for beginners: some call it motivation, some call it discipline.
Where do you find the motivation to run when it’s cold, rainy and you want just snuggle on the sofa?
There are 5 tips to keep beginners motivated to run: Make your runs fun, vary them, go with friends, do not question the run itself, and set a long-term running goal.
Read on for more detailed explanation on each of these motivational running tips for beginners.
Table of Contents
Running motivation for beginners: Introduction
We all have ups and downs, and sometimes it’s tough to find any motivation to go running.
If this is the case, don’t be afraid or think you’re weak, drops in motivation happen to us all.
Our 5 excellent tips as running motivation for beginners
We’ve come up with 5 amazing tips to keep you motivated all year long.
Run with friends 🏃♂️🏃♀️
Run with a friend or group when you can. It is very powerful although it can also be dangerous if misused.
If you know people who have a similar level to yours, it’s ideal, you will be able to run your jogs and long runs together!
And if you are preparing for the same competition, your training will be the same overall.
If not, there is nothing to stop you from running with other people, but make sure that the group adapts to your level and not the other way around.
Take the lead to split the group into sub-groups of level if necessary,
Don’t run above your level, you’re bound to pay for it at some point, like failing to recover in time for the next run!
Make your training more fun 🥳
Once you know what workout to do, you can do it wherever you want.
You can train absolutely anywhere you want and change your training location regularly to boost your motivation!
And to make your training more fun overall, there are other methods.
You can always think about what you can change to make your workout more motivating or fun.
Sometimes a simple basic endurance session in a new location is all it takes.
You can also use methods to escape like listening to a podcast while jogging. 🎧
During jogging, it is also possible to think about details of our running technique that we would like to improve.
It keeps you focused and makes the training even more useful! Kindly refer to our other article for running technique tips for beginners.
One last trick you can use to turn a jog into a game is to get as close as possible to your basic endurance pace without looking at the watch.
You’ll learn how to gauge what your body is feeling at a specific pace.
Vary your training 🔀
The best way to avoid becoming jaded is to vary your training. It’s also the best way to progress.
And to progress, to feel in better shape from month to month is one of the best motivation boosters.
Variety is the key in all cases.
Happy runners are runners who like to train in a variety of ways and register the progress it brings them month after month.
Don’t question the run 🚫
This is one of the golden rules when you want to know how to motivate yourself to run.
Leaving the choice to your brain between a run in the rain and the couch is not a good option.
Neither is saying that we’re going to sit on the couch for 10 minutes before we go.
You’re only setting yourself up for failure.
Having to make a decision is harder than not having a choice.
If you run in the evening after work, you can leave immediately without giving yourself a choice, without ever asking yourself if you are going or not.
The same applies if you go in the morning when you wake up. You do your mobility routine, drink a coffee and go!
You know very well that you will remember why you are doing this during a race.
In life, we rarely regret what we do, but on the contrary, we spend our time regretting what we could have done.
So go for a run, no questions asked.
Find a truly motivating long-term goal 🏁
One of the most effective methods of maintaining motivation is setting goals that you really care about.
Then, commit yourself fully to the project of achieving that goal.
Here are the important steps to follow to ensure that this goal is the right one.
If you don’t have a goal, take 5 minutes to ask yourself what you could do on a run that would make you proud.
Examples are:
- managing to run for 40 minutes straight without coughing up your lungs,
- losing x pounds through running (as a fat guy myself, these helped for me: best running shoes for fat guys)
- training for a 10-mile run, an endurance run like a marathon, or a trail run at some crazy destination, or
- simply telling yourself that in a few months you’ll feel in the best shape of your life (maybe even in better shape than when you were 20 years old?)
There can be hundreds of valid goals, it’s up to you to decide what you really want and then make it happen.
Running motivation for beginners: Conclusion
Incorporate your runs into your daily and social life, set yourself a goal and don’t stop to think about them again.
It’s only the beginning to the rest of your life. And every single time you return, you’ll be glad you went and you’ll improve your health.
Related: Did you know that better health in turn reinforces your ability to run in a self-reinforcing way?