After I finished playing basketball in high school, I struggled to find ways to work out that I actually liked. When I lived in New York and walked absolutely everywhere, that helped, but once I got back to Madison, just shooting around on a local court wasn't really cutting it. Meanwhile, I thought running was the worst thing I could imagine doing to myself. (When I played basketball, I would run up and down the court all day, but if we just had a running workout? I lagged behind everyone and hated every second of it.)
Then, one day, after months of taking quiet walks to a nearby lake, I thought, "I'd like to be moving faster." Yes, it was as ridiculously simple as that. I thought, "I'm bored with this now," and started jogging. I had to work my way up to being able to run for even a minute straight, but I just kept moving. I've had a lot of stops and starts over the years, most recently because of a totally unrelated knee injury. But I keep coming back to it, and most importantly, I enjoy it more and more.
Below are the three things that make the biggest difference for me in motivating myself to run.
Below are the three things that make the biggest difference for me in motivating myself to run.
1. Love What You Wear
I used to work out exclusively in old t-shirts and basketball shorts. There's nothing wrong with that, but as someone who loves fashion, I eventually learned I would be waaay more likely to want to throw on my gear and pound the pavement if I felt good about how I looked and my clothes were truly functional. Seamless, wicking fabric is truly a revelation. I went to Target and pulled a bunch of pink and black C9 by Champion layers of running gear from the clearance rack. I've only had to add a few items here and there over the years - those compression tights still work great. Below are a few of my favorite items.
2. Music Matters
I have playlists for everything from driving to showering and running is no exception. Mine include a healthy mix of rock and hip hop and I pepper in some pure pop of the kind that makes me smile no matter where I am or what I'm doing. I go to one of those songs if I need a boost (no one does this better than Ke$ha, and "Blow" is my absolute go-to). I also look for stuff that makes me want to push harder for speed, like the number embedded above. A friend just asked me for a Broadway-musical theater running playlist and I was more than happy to oblige. Check it out on Spotify! (It's very heavy on the rock musicals, of course.)
3. Make it Fun
I like to run outdoors rather than on a treadmill so that I feel stimulated and actually go somewhere. I try to vary my route every single time I run and take the time to look at the urban scenery around me. I also try to take advantage of my surroundings. If I run past a park with an empty swing set, I will stop and swing. It still feels like flying 20 years later, and it's a fun diversion halfway through a run. If I take it too seriously, it becomes work. If I keep myself on my toes, mix it up, and indulge in my inner child, it's exhilarating.
I used to work out exclusively in old t-shirts and basketball shorts. There's nothing wrong with that, but as someone who loves fashion, I eventually learned I would be waaay more likely to want to throw on my gear and pound the pavement if I felt good about how I looked and my clothes were truly functional. Seamless, wicking fabric is truly a revelation. I went to Target and pulled a bunch of pink and black C9 by Champion layers of running gear from the clearance rack. I've only had to add a few items here and there over the years - those compression tights still work great. Below are a few of my favorite items.
2. Music Matters
I have playlists for everything from driving to showering and running is no exception. Mine include a healthy mix of rock and hip hop and I pepper in some pure pop of the kind that makes me smile no matter where I am or what I'm doing. I go to one of those songs if I need a boost (no one does this better than Ke$ha, and "Blow" is my absolute go-to). I also look for stuff that makes me want to push harder for speed, like the number embedded above. A friend just asked me for a Broadway-musical theater running playlist and I was more than happy to oblige. Check it out on Spotify! (It's very heavy on the rock musicals, of course.)
3. Make it Fun
I like to run outdoors rather than on a treadmill so that I feel stimulated and actually go somewhere. I try to vary my route every single time I run and take the time to look at the urban scenery around me. I also try to take advantage of my surroundings. If I run past a park with an empty swing set, I will stop and swing. It still feels like flying 20 years later, and it's a fun diversion halfway through a run. If I take it too seriously, it becomes work. If I keep myself on my toes, mix it up, and indulge in my inner child, it's exhilarating.
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