Some people assume that I never hit the snooze button or that I don’t want to (most days!). That couldn’t be further from the truth but I have a few tricks that help me stay committed even when (though) I’m not motivated.
- Set out or wear your workout clothes to bed. That may sound crazy, but I wear my workout clothes about 95% of the time to bed. They’re clean. They’re comfortable. Then all I have to do is throw on socks, shoes, and a ponytail.
- Just do it. Don’t think about it. The less thinking involved, the better. I can be out of my bed and hitting the pavement in 7 minutes. If I think about it longer than that, it makes me want to back out.
- Run with friends. It’s hard to not show up when someone is relying on you. If you don’t have runner friends, look up an RRCA run group near you or check out a local shoe company or Lululemon. Many of them have run groups and will have people of all abilities there!
- Commit to a race. Pay for it. Train for it.
- Think about how you will feel for the rest of the day. This one almost always gets me. I know that if I don’t get up and work out I will be more tired and less motivated throughout the day. I’m not saying to never sleep in or take a rest day, but seriously consider how you’re going to feel.
- Follow runners on social media. You will be able to relate to what they post and it will make you want to get up and go. http://www.hungryrunnergirl.com
- Read a book about running.
- Get some new gear/music/podcasts/audio books. Sometimes having something new to look forward to will help motivate you.
- Commit to 10 minutes. If you want to quit after 10 minutes, then quit. I’ve never actually quit after 10 minutes, but if you do, then maybe you simply need a rest day!
- Remember that it’s all worth it! Remember how you will feel once you’re done. Remember how you’ll feel for the rest of the day.