How to Force Yourself to Run and Achieve Your Fitness Goals
Try some of these ideas to help you get and stay motivated to run
Here we go again, another day trying to force ourselves to get up and run.
Your brain is telling you that it’s going to be one of the hardest things you do all day, and you feel close to calling off your run for the day.
Pause for just a second!
Don’t you know how much better running makes you feel?
When you finally reach your finish line and finalize your GPS-mapped run, you feel like an Olympic champion. It’s an indescribable feeling getting home after your run and grabbing that well-deserved shower afterward.
Now, I want you to think about the days where you throw in the towel on a run. It feels pretty crappy, doesn’t it? You feel lazy, unmotivated, and unfulfilled.
All that running asks of you is twenty to thirty minutes — less than half an hour of your time, and you get to experience the euphoria for the entire day.
What is Runner’s High?
If you have ever had the pleasure of experiencing “runner’s high,” then you know the addicting feeling you get from the “peak” portion of your run.
I found the Merriam Webster definition of runner’s high, and it states:
Runner’s high is a feeling of euphoria that is experienced by some individuals engaged in strenuous running and that is held to be associated with the release of endorphins by the brain.
I won’t get all technical with the effects on the brain, but even just reading about the impact of a runner’s high gets me excited to run out the door.
How to Get Your Runner’s High
Try forcing yourself to visualize the runner’s high you’re going to get on your run. It probably won’t hit you on the first mile, maybe not even the second.
But when you forget you’re even running and think about life, your goals, memories, etc. — that’s how you know you’re in it.
The power of a runner’s high and visualization have allowed me to run over five-hundred miles in the span of eight months.
You can hit all the goals you want by recognizing the influence of runner’s high!
Get Dressed and Tie Your Running Shoes
If getting ready for a run didn’t take any work, then everyone would be doing it.
But if you think about all of the preparation it takes to get ready, then you know it’s more of a mental challenge versus a physical one.
Committing is one of the toughest things to do in any sport or passion you may have.
When you are properly clothed and tying the last knot on your running shoes is quite honestly more of an accomplishment than going on the run itself.
By preparing mentally and physically, you’re putting yourself ahead of so many other people who are struggling to muster up the courage to get off the couch.
Be sure to pat yourself on the back and tell yourself that you are doing something great today.
No one is forced to run, but we do it anyways. We do it for the exercise, the views, the euphoria, the memories, and ultimately, ourselves.
Create a Personalized Music Playlist
The power music has on me is nothing like anything else in the world.
You may take music with you on the commute to work, while you’re studying, or even relaxing at home during a cozy Sunday.
When I finally personalized my music to something incredibly inspirational, I saw the effects it had on me almost immediately.
Most of the music I listen to is EDM based, but here are my top 5 running artists:
- ODESZA
- Porter Robinson
- ILLENIUM
- Marshmello
- San Holo
All of these artists hold an incredibly special place in my heart, and I couldn’t be more grateful to have discovered their sound.
Your sound may be completely different from mine, and that’s the beauty of it all. The fact that you can crush it on your run, listening to something completely different from everyone else is quite inspiring.
It’s inspiring because we are all inspired in our own ways.
If you’re a music listener on your runs, then please take the time to put a kickass playlist together. It’ll take you to new places, and limits you didn’t know existed.
Once You Find Your Motivation, Protect It
Finding your routine for motivation takes lots of time, trial, and error.
It’s not going to be a straight line to successful fitness or commitment to exercise, but you can at least start with one of the three methods I mentioned:
- Visualize and experience your runner’s high
- Get dressed and tie your shoes
- Create a personalized music playlist
Remember that just because you aren’t running right now doesn’t mean that you can’t do it at some point in time. Believe that you can do what you set your mind to.
One run can change your day. Many runs can change your life.