{"id":764,"date":"2019-03-13T20:43:13","date_gmt":"2019-03-13T20:43:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/carolineg1.sg-host.com\/index.php\/2019\/03\/13\/2019-3-9-how-to-motivate-yourself-to-go-for-a-run-when-its-the-last-thing-you-want-to-do\/"},"modified":"2022-08-10T15:05:47","modified_gmt":"2022-08-10T14:05:47","slug":"how-to-motivate-yourself-to-go-for-a-run-when-its-the-last-thing-you-want-to-do","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.runwithcaroline.com\/how-to-motivate-yourself-to-go-for-a-run-when-its-the-last-thing-you-want-to-do\/","title":{"rendered":"How to motivate yourself to go for a run"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>img#mv-trellis-img-1::before{padding-top:149.92679355783%; }img#mv-trellis-img-1{display:block;}img#mv-trellis-img-2::before{padding-top:149.92679355783%; }img#mv-trellis-img-2{display:block;}img#mv-trellis-img-3::before{padding-top:149.92679355783%; }img#mv-trellis-img-3{display:block;}img#mv-trellis-img-4::before{padding-top:149.92679355783%; }img#mv-trellis-img-4{display:block;}<\/style>\n<p>Motivating yourself to go for a run can be hard. You sometimes need a lot of will power to get yourself out the door.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We&rsquo;ve all been there. You set yourself a goal to go for a run but you just can&rsquo;t bring yourself to do it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You think of a million and one reasons NOT to go and quickly convince yourself that extra 30 minutes in bed are so worth it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There have been many times in my life when I&rsquo;ve procrastinated as if it was a sport in itself. I&rsquo;ve even had times where I&rsquo;ve fallen out of love with running completely which made the prospect of going for a run all the more harder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are so many amazing physical and mental benefits of running. Every time I come home from a run, I feel much better for doing it &ndash; so why do I still let my myself get in my own way?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sadly, there isn&rsquo;t a magic formula that will get you out of the door. You just have to find a routine that works for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You&rsquo;ll probably find this routine will change over time, and life will get in the way sometimes, and that&rsquo;s ok!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To make this process a little easier, I&rsquo;d like to share some of the tips and techniques that I&rsquo;ve found useful over the years when it comes to motivating yourself to go for a run.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some days it&rsquo;s very easy to get out and enjoy it, other days it seems like the hardest thing ever!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Whatever your reasons for going for a run, I hope you find these tips on how to motivate yourself to go for a run useful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.runwithcaroline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/27-683x1024.png\" alt=\"how to motivate yourself to go for a run\" class=\"wp-image-4372\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.runwithcaroline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/27-683x1024.png 683w, https:\/\/www.runwithcaroline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/27-200x300.png 200w, https:\/\/www.runwithcaroline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/27-768x1152.png 768w, https:\/\/www.runwithcaroline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/27.png 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 48px), 720px\"><\/noscript><img loading=\"eager\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%20683%201024'%3E%3Crect%20width='683'%20height='1024'%20style='fill:%23e3e3e3'\/%3E%3C\/svg%3E\" alt=\"how to motivate yourself to go for a run\" class=\"wp-image-4372 eager-load\" title=\"\" sizes=\"(max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 48px), 720px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/www.runwithcaroline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/27.png\" id=\"mv-trellis-img-1\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.runwithcaroline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/27-683x1024.png.webp\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.runwithcaroline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/27-683x1024.png.webp 683w, https:\/\/www.runwithcaroline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/27-200x300.png.webp 200w, https:\/\/www.runwithcaroline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/27-768x1152.png.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.runwithcaroline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/27.png.webp 1000w\" data-svg=\"1\" data-trellis-processed=\"1\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to motivate yourself to go for a run<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Just get up and go<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>There have been lots of times where I&rsquo;ve put off going for a run.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Whilst I procrastinated, I could&rsquo;ve completed my run, got showered, and got dressed again and carried on with my day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I thought of all the things under the sun that I <em>could<\/em> be doing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Don&rsquo;t let your mind overtake your original intention of getting out there and hitting the road.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Decide on a route, commit to it, then go! Depending on the distance, you&rsquo;re normally home within 30-45 minutes which is no time at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Schedule for run like an appointment<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>It can be hard to fit a run into a busy schedule. A good way to make time for running is to schedule it like any other appointment in your diary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This way you can fit all your other tasks and activities around this slot. This is especially handy when you have a full-time job (like me) or a family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A few years ago, I was finding that people were putting meetings in my calendar between 4-6pm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Although this was fine at the time, it meant that I couldn&rsquo;t leave on time some days to go for my evening run when I got home from work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So I ended up blocking 5-6pm out in my calendar so I could make time for my run.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you struggle to go for a run in the evening due to work or family commitments, consider scheduling your runs in the morning before you go to work or at lunch times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.runwithcaroline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/28-1-683x1024.png\" alt=\"how to motivate yourself to go for a run\" class=\"wp-image-4373\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.runwithcaroline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/28-1-683x1024.png 683w, https:\/\/www.runwithcaroline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/28-1-200x300.png 200w, https:\/\/www.runwithcaroline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/28-1-768x1152.png 768w, https:\/\/www.runwithcaroline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/28-1.png 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 48px), 720px\"><\/noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.runwithcaroline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/28-1-683x1024.png.webp\" alt=\"how to motivate yourself to go for a run\" class=\"wp-image-4373 lazyload\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.runwithcaroline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/28-1-683x1024.png.webp 683w, https:\/\/www.runwithcaroline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/28-1-200x300.png.webp 200w, https:\/\/www.runwithcaroline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/28-1-768x1152.png.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.runwithcaroline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/28-1.png.webp 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 48px), 720px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/www.runwithcaroline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/28-1.png\" id=\"mv-trellis-img-2\" data-trellis-processed=\"1\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Join a running group<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Joining a running group is a great way to motivate yourself and make you feel accountable to go for a run with others on a regular basis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They also offer a great support network in return!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The key is to find a group that works for you and that matches your goals and running experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you&rsquo;re looking to really enhance your running, consider joining a group organised by an athletics club.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These tend to focus on making you a better runner at all levels, including looking at your breathing, posture and endurance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you&rsquo;d prefer a more informal social group, you can normally find some listed on apps like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.meetup.com\/find\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Meetup<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/runtogether.co.uk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">RunTogether.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Many groups organise social activities too &ndash; whether it be coffee and cake or a pint at your local &ndash; these are all great incentives to finish your run!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Run with a friend<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If you&rsquo;re not quite ready to join a running group, find a friend to go running with you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A good friend can be a great source of support and motivation on your run.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With the great outdoors as your playground, you may find it a better environment in which to talk about your day or your week ahead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.runwithcaroline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/29-1-683x1024.png\" alt=\"how to motivate yourself to go for a run\" class=\"wp-image-4374\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.runwithcaroline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/29-1-683x1024.png 683w, https:\/\/www.runwithcaroline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/29-1-200x300.png 200w, https:\/\/www.runwithcaroline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/29-1-768x1152.png 768w, https:\/\/www.runwithcaroline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/29-1.png 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 48px), 720px\"><\/noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.runwithcaroline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/29-1-683x1024.png.webp\" alt=\"how to motivate yourself to go for a run\" class=\"wp-image-4374 lazyload\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.runwithcaroline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/29-1-683x1024.png.webp 683w, https:\/\/www.runwithcaroline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/29-1-200x300.png.webp 200w, https:\/\/www.runwithcaroline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/29-1-768x1152.png.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.runwithcaroline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/29-1.png.webp 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 48px), 720px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/www.runwithcaroline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/29-1.png\" id=\"mv-trellis-img-3\" data-trellis-processed=\"1\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Run Parkrun<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>I love <a href=\"http:\/\/www.parkrun.org.uk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Parkrun<\/a> because it&rsquo;s free and gives you a great reason to get up on a Saturday morning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Before I found Parkrun, I would often procrastinate on a Saturday morning and delay my weekend run to a much later time in the day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now I look forward to my run every Saturday, and by 10am I can say I&rsquo;ve ran 5k.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you&rsquo;ve never run Parkrun before, check out my post on what to expect at your first Parkrun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Plan your route<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Another great way to motivate yourself is to plan a new and exciting route.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Run somewhere where you haven&rsquo;t been before and explore your surroundings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When I lived in central Cambridge, I used to love running along the Backs as it had beautiful views of Kings College and the surrounding colleges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The thought of this always got me excited for a run.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Of course, with any route the imperative should be your own safety, so don&rsquo;t go taking yourself off somewhere if you feel unsure about it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And ALWAYS tell someone where and when you&rsquo;re going.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.runwithcaroline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/30-683x1024.png\" alt=\"how to motivate yourself to go for a run\" class=\"wp-image-4375\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.runwithcaroline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/30-683x1024.png 683w, https:\/\/www.runwithcaroline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/30-200x300.png 200w, https:\/\/www.runwithcaroline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/30-768x1152.png 768w, https:\/\/www.runwithcaroline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/30.png 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 48px), 720px\"><\/noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.runwithcaroline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/30-683x1024.png.webp\" alt=\"how to motivate yourself to go for a run\" class=\"wp-image-4375 lazyload\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.runwithcaroline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/30-683x1024.png.webp 683w, https:\/\/www.runwithcaroline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/30-200x300.png.webp 200w, https:\/\/www.runwithcaroline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/30-768x1152.png.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.runwithcaroline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/30.png.webp 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 48px), 720px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/www.runwithcaroline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/30.png\" id=\"mv-trellis-img-4\" data-trellis-processed=\"1\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Take a run selfie<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>When I started my Instagram years ago, it soon became a great source of motivation as I loved reporting back on my runs with a run selfie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As a runner, you come across some beautiful scenery that cyclists and motorists often don&rsquo;t get to see if you&rsquo;re off the beaten track.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I know a lot of runners who have started Instagram accounts that focus on their running exploits. This is certainly true for me!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Track your run<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>You could also consider tracking your runs to provide more accountability and a great record of your runs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are plenty of ways you can do this nowadays via running apps like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mapmyrun.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">MapMyRun<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.strava.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Strava<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&rsquo;s hugely motivating to see all your previous runs and see how far you&rsquo;ve come in a short space of time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you&rsquo;re looking for something that&rsquo;s a bit more fun, try an app like <a href=\"https:\/\/zombiesrungame.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Zombies, Run!<\/a> which imagines you are running from a zombie epidemic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are also other apps like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.runsoftheworld.com\/Auth\/Login?returnUrl=%2f\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Run the World<\/a> that allow you to do &lsquo;virtual&rsquo; runs in the USA, Europe and Australia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Check out my post on the best running for beginners apps for more tips and advice on finding the best running app for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Reward yourself<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Going for a run is a huge achievement! And with any achievement, there comes a reward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We all have different ways to reward ourselves, whether it be a hot shower when you get home or a sweet treat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you prefer a more &lsquo;formal&rsquo; approach, consider a reward system. I once had a friend who put a gold star sticker on her calendar to mark the days she had gone for a run.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I thought this was a brilliant idea as she clearly got satisfaction from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>No matter what your reward, you should always congratulate yourself for investing in your physical and mental wellbeing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Running offers many physical and mental benefits, and I guarantee you will feel better afterwards.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Motivating yourself to go for a run can be hard. You sometimes need a lot of will power to get yourself out the door. We&rsquo;ve all been there. You set yourself a goal to go for a run but you just can&rsquo;t bring yourself to do it. You think of a million and one reasons &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2364,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","disable-in-feed":false,"article-schema-type":"","disable-critical-css":false},"categories":[39],"tags":[43,90],"mv":{"thumbnail_id":2364,"thumbnail_uri":"https:\/\/www.runwithcaroline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/1-300x300.png"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.runwithcaroline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/764"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.runwithcaroline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.runwithcaroline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.runwithcaroline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.runwithcaroline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=764"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.runwithcaroline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/764\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8295,"href":"https:\/\/www.runwithcaroline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/764\/revisions\/8295"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.runwithcaroline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2364"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.runwithcaroline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=764"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.runwithcaroline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=764"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.runwithcaroline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=764"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}