How do you get your mojo back when you fall properly out of love with running? That’s what happened to me after three marathons, numerous 10 milers and more half marathons than I can remember to count. The monotonous winter training had got me down. Snowy runs, frozen faces, numb fingers and toes, the same dreary routes year after year building up to 26.2 miles in time for a spring marathon. I was well and truly over it.
I turned to bikram yoga (blissfully hot), cycling (exhilarating and exhausting, I even started a blog encouraging more women to take it up) and triathlon (a challenge with all three disciplines). But, nothing quite provided the same endorphins that you get from a run. There just isn’t anything as joyful and rewarding as pulling on your runners and heading out whatever the weather, delighting in long summer evenings or feeling smug at the end of a dark, wet, frozen winter run.
So I needed some running oomph, for lack of a better expression. I’ve decided to ease myself back into it by taking part in the excellent 10k Run Through races. Here’s why I think these races will help anyone struggling for a bit of motivation:
1) You need a goal to get running
Otherwise it’s too easy to procrastinate. Without something to aim towards it all gets a bit meaningless, but having a clear goal in mind will get you out the door.
2) 10k is achievable for EVERYONE
I truly believe that people of all ages and fitness levels can build up to reach this distance. This means that all my friends who have been too put off to come marathon training with me will now be enticed into building up to a 10k. (You know who I am talking about.)
3) I want to see how fast I can do it
This is a new challenge. As mentioned, long distance running has always been my forte. Slow and steady wins the race, etc. But I reckon training for 10k is a good way of forcing myself to speed up.
4) When you blog about it, you’re committed
There’s a good Runner’s World article about why sharing your running experiences through social media is a huge motivation. It’s true: if you’re telling people when, where, why, how far or how fast you run, you’ll want to have a good story to share. You’re also likely to meet others doing the same. So if you’re really interested, I’ll be tweeting from @emilyjg
5) It means you can eat more mince pies and drink more mulled wine
We run for many reasons, but one of them is to eat and drink guilt free. With Christmas just around the corner and the silly season already starting (I don’t have one free night in December), the more runs you do, the more you’ll enjoy the festivities. Hungry, anyone…?
6) It will become a routine
Having one race goal is great: run a marathon, break your 5k PB etc. But the Run Through 10k races happen all over town on a regular basis, so signing up to several races is the perfect way to make the new routine stick.
So there you have it. I know there are hundreds of runners signed up to the Run Through 10ks, and I’d love to hear your reasons for training. Leave a comment below!