Running motivation :(?

If there's a downside to running, it is finding the MOTIVATION to do it, and keep on doing it. OK you read up about it and get keen and go out a few times, but that doesn't last long. Pretty soon you are BORED.

Here are some tips to get you out and about:

Tip 1 - Find an EXCUSE to go for a run. Need a stamp for your letter? RUN down to the Post Office. Need to do some shopping? Don't go by car or bus - put on a backpack and RUN.

Tip 3 - Keep a running DIARY and enter into it every time you do a run, no matter how short. 5 minutes is better than NOTHING. And you will be surprised how good you feel when you see [Wow! I ran almost 20 minutes on Tuesday! That makes almost 45 minutes this week! Great!]

Tip 4 - Think of yourself as a RUNNER. Make running a habit. You do this long enough and there'll come a time when you wouldn't DREAM of not going out for at least a little run SOMEWHERE.

Tip 5 - This one is for when you are older. ENTER RACES. You don't have to be fast. There are fun races where there will be people who are much less fit and slower than you are, so you won't be last. But knowing you've got a race gives you a goal to aim for - that is - MOTIVATION to go out and get fit for your race.

And if all the above fails and one day and you are sitting moping at home saying to yourself: 'Shall I go out for a run - or not bother? Is it worth all that effort - and for what?'

THEN you can get out your diary, look in the blank page and answer yourself: 'If I DON'T go out - I will still have this blank page. On the other hand - if I DO go out - I'll be able to put down some time here. And furthermore - I WILL STILL BE A RUNNER.' What have I got to lose?

And if THAT doesn't get you off your *** - nothing ever will. But just remember one thing -

YOU ARE ONLY A LOSER WHEN YOU QUIT.

Happy life, nine-year-old. One day you will wake up and you'll be 65. Don't forget that, either. You can be obese and hating the sight of yourself in the mirror. Or you can look at those strong legs and feel a flush of pride.

It's up to you, kid. Only you can do it for yourself. Nobody said it would be easy. It takes guts to be a winner. But you can do it. I KNOW you can.

This goes to sound like a shameless plug, however significantly, I have not suffered from a lot loss of motivation because I began ChiRunning. Now I am an teacher as good, and it has made jogging extra pleasurable than I ever imagined. Turn your jogging into a real train -- whatever you'll be able to paintings on and preserve making improvements to for the relaxation of your lifestyles -- and it's going to stop to be only a "exercise."

Its good that you don't want to be lazy and that you care about your fitness. Developing an enjoyment of exercise (rather than a dread of it) at this stage in your life will help you stay fit and willing to take care of yourself later on.

Get up, get dressed, and put on your shoes. Then, you're already this far, no reason to turn back now. When you're about to hit that snooze button, think about how good you felt when you were running regularly. Is another 15 or 20 minutes of sleep worth trading for that feeling?

Its all in your head, you've got to figure out what makes you tick, and then use that to figure out how to motivate yourself for those first few runs. We're all different. Some people respond better to guilt, some to rewards, some prefer positive reinforcement, some get the best results under negative reinforcement.

Good luck, get out of bed and run!

Set a weekly mileage goal. Crunch the numbers and figure out how many miles you'd like to run a day and how many days of the week you'd like to run. Make sure your goal is realistic, but high enough to make you feel proud of accomplishing it.

Mix up your running route. Many runners are guilty of running the same neighborhood loop day in and day out. This can often be the culprit for a loss of motivation. Run to the neighborhood next to you or if it's too far, get in the car and drive there. You can also check out any local parks, trails or lakes. This change of scenery allows you to be more distracted by your surroundings and can get you more amped to run.

Try Fartlek running. This is a method where you play with your speed. You run fast for a set time, and then slow for a set time, then fast again and so on. You can set your own "fast" and "slow" paces as they suit you and can use whatever time intervals you feel comfortable with. This new method can feel completely different for a runner who always runs at the same moderate pace. It can also make you feel more self-competitive.

Switch up your schedule. If you run every morning at 6:30 a.m., chances are you'll get to the point of just wanting to hit that snooze button. Try an evening run for a change or skip one of your weekday runs altogether and go for a Saturday morning run instead. You'd be surprised how your mood will change with the time of day. It allows you to see when your energy level is the highest and what schedule will be right for you.

Get an MP3 player and create a motivating play list. Download all of your favorite songs and forbid yourself to listen to them unless you're out there running. Listening to your favorite tunes should be motivation enough to want to run. Your mileage will then feel like a treat since you get to hear all your favorite music while you're sweating it out.

Reward yourself. At the end of the week, if you've met or exceeded your weekly mileage goal, treat yourself to something nice. Make this treat running-related since new running shorts or shoes are also motivating factors to keep up the good work.

Don’t look at as something to loose weight maybe, but instead just a time to relax collect your thoughts. Don’t be to concern about the weight; best of luck.