Have you ever set an exercise goal, but weren’t able to hit it? If so, I can totally relate. That’s what I did with running. I set a goal to run a marathon when I had never even run a race before. Matter of fact, I wasn’t even a runner. Crazy right?!
Before we get too deep into talking about my running practice, I want to check-in. Friend, how did you like last week’s post about not believing the lies that you’re telling yourself? I hope it resonated with you.
Do you wanna know how I started my running practice and ran a marathon? I hope so because I have got some tips for you! Before I get into those tips, if you want my guide “Five Tips Every Runner Must Have, check it out HERE!
The first time I signed up for the Marathon, I didn’t get to do it. It just seemed too daunting, and I didn’t know what to do. How do you eat an elephant? Yes, I know the answer is one bite at a time, but it is easier said than done. Running a marathon seemed so daunting but thrilling at the same time. Have you ever felt that way, both scared and excited? I thought, If I am not a runner, but could complete a marathon, that would be pretty darn cool!
It just so happened, the second time I signed up for a marathon, I managed to trick myself into training and to finish the marathon! I want you to be able to do the same! If you’re going to run a marathon (or hit a running goal), you can create a running habit, run the same time every day, put on athletic clothing no matter what, train for time not for miles, and envision yourself completing the marathon.
Run/exercise for 30 days straight.
I realize this goes against what you have heard, but you have got to create a habit of running every day (this isn’t long term). Jerry Seinfeld came up with a system called don’t break the chain. He said he had to write jokes every day to get to the good jokes. He made a calendar and put an X on every day that he completed. The goal is to try not to miss a day. If you do, don’t beat yourself up, don’t miss the second day. Also, you don’t have to do the same amount of time running every day; get in the habit of running, even if it is only for 5 minutes. Apply Jerry’s Don’t Break the Chain philosophy to running, and see how it works!
Have a set time to run every day.
I hear the best time to run is in the morning before you start your workday. With that said, it doesn’t work for everyone. I start work early, so my running habit was after I got home from work. Every day, right when I got back from work, I would get on my running clothes and go for a run. I did the same thing every time and didn’t even think about it. I’ll admit I ran at a different time on days I didn’t work, but even then, I had it planned to go first thing in the morning. I never let it pass 4 PM without starting a run. Put your running time on your calendar if you need to. That time is non-negotiable.
You may have a day where you don’t feel like running. That’s okay, walk instead. There is no shame in going for a walk instead of a run, it’s still exercise!
Put your workout clothes on everyday…NO MATTER WHAT!
If you decide you will run at 3 PM every day, then put your workout clothes on before 3 PM every day. There is some magic in putting those running clothes on. Some days, I would get home from work and be exhausted. I told myself, “put on your running gear, and then you can decide if you still wanna go or not.” Once I had my running clothes on, I would say, “well your already dressed; you might as well go now.” Don’t put any judgment on yourself; getting out the door is a win!
Run for time, not for miles.
I found that running for time instead of miles helped me. I had printed out a marathon training schedule, and it just didn’t seem to work for me. If it said 5, 7, or 10 miles, I felt overwhelmed. I decided to trick my brain and train for time instead of miles. Consider determining the number of minutes to run on a weekday and a little more time for the weekend. You can run and walk, get out of the house! I started with 30 minutes on weekdays and 45 minutes on weekends. Eventually, I moved it up to 45 minutes on weekdays and 1 hour on the weekends. Before you think I was running like a madwoman out of the gate, I wasn’t. I promise you I wasn’t afraid to walk. In the beginning, it felt like quite a bit of walking, but the running increased as I got more comfortable with it.
The beauty of running for time, is you aren’t limiting yourself! In the past, when I set out to do 3 miles, I never wanted to do more than the required amount. When I ran for time, without realizing it, I could get more than 3 miles in (I just wasn’t focused on the mileage)!
Sometimes it’s the small tips and tricks that you use to trick your brain, that will help you the most. Don’t be afraid to set landmarks while you are running. For example, tell yourself to run to that stoplight and then walk. Once you start walking, tell yourself you will only walk until the next light pole, and then you will run. Sometimes you have to make it a game to keep yourself moving.
Envision yourself completing a marathon.
If you can picture yourself completing a marathon, it’s so powerful! I had a daily meditation practice, followed by five minutes of picturing myself, accomplishing my goals. I would imagine crossing the finish line, getting the finishers jacket, the marathon medal, and the free cold beer at the end (which I never drank, by the way, lol); I also pictured who would be there and how I would feel. That was what I attributed most of my success too. I believed I could finish the marathon by the time it happened, and I attributed that to all of the times I had seen myself finish in my visualization practice. If you think it’s to woo woo for you, try it! I would love to hear your feedback.
If you want to create a running practice and run your first marathon, I suggest you create a running habit, run the same time every day, put on athletic clothing no matter what, train for time not for miles, and envision yourself completing the marathon.
All the best,
Marie
P.S. Comment below and tell me if this sounds like something you would try!
I would absolutely try this! What a great and inspirational post. Thank you so much for sharing and I will be putting my running shoes on first thing tomorrow morning and getting my habit back!!! 🙂
Yahoo! Thanks for sharing. Do you have a running tip or trick that has worked for you in the past?