Have you made running a habit?
Habits
So many people would love to turn their running into a habit, but
it just doesn't happen. They get pumped to run and then, it fizzles.
Turning your running into a habit is not hard. With the
right direction and steps a running habit is within your reach.
Before you know it, you will be ready to Train for an Ultra.
Running can become as routine as brushing your teeth and
tying your shoes.
How to make running a habit in 4 easy steps:
Step 1
Decide to Run:
So often we hear people lamenting how they would love to be
a runner, or run a certain distance or race.
Being a runner is not defined by distances or days or miles
ran per week. Being a runner is decided by you.
The day you start to call yourself a runner, you are a
runner.
If you can run, have run and want to run more, you are a
runner.
Decide today, to be a Runner. This will get you on your way
to the running habit.
Step 2
Create a Cue:
Habits are created by cues. For example, every day we have
cues that spur us on to brush our teeth, drink coffee, eat donuts and turn on
the TV.
The running habit can cued just as easily as any of these
other habits.
Choose a running cue.
Examples:
Decide to run every morning after your first cup of coffee.
Set your shoes out in the middle of the room.
Put a note on your TV—Have I run today?
Lunchtime at work=cue to run.
Walk in the door after work=Then run.
Step 3
The Routine Route:
It helps to have a running route that you can do mindlessly. The
fallback route will be the safety net of your running habit. When a person has
to plan out a route, the run can often fall through. The time and effort it
takes to plan the route can be enough to make you push your run of to the next
day.
A routine running route makes running easier.
The route can be 3 miles, 10 or whatever works for you.
After your cue, throw on your shorts, shoes and shirt and
hit the running route. Get this route established until the point that you can
run it with your eyes closed. Then, add a new route to the routine.
Learn to Run Like Water.
Doing this will facilitate your running habit.
Step 4
Run for the Reward:
All habits end with rewards. Whether they are feelings of
satisfaction or a physical satisfaction the reward at the end of the run
propels you forward to run your next.
Rewards:
A glass of chocolate milk.
Writing your mileage in a running journal.
Stretch.
Relax.
Ice Water.
The satisfaction of running.
Call for comments:
How have you made running a habit? What are your cues and rewards?
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