Pace and Grace

It really depends on the qualities of each person. I can only speak for myself and explain what things helped me specifically. To someone it will seem insufficient, to someone silly.

Here I can tell you what helped me develop running as a habit.

Find a core purpose. A year ago was the first time I started running not because I wanted to lose weight. Running wasn’t a tool of torture and punishment for me this time. I accepted myself for who I was and I was generally comfortable. Yes, I wasn’t in my best shape, but I knew that running wasn’t going to fix my life. More specifically, it alone wouldn’t be enough. My main goal was to find a hobby. As a bonus, this hobby allowed me to improve my endurance and heart function. I was aware of why I needed all of this and clearly saw the goal.

Results take time. Being patient is hard as hell. But unfortunately, all good things in this world take time. If you think that after two weeks of running your heart rate/speed/distance numbers will improve, think again. The body can’t realign itself in such a short period of time. You won’t become a marathon runner in three months. I only saw my first results after a year of constant and steady training. And I’m not just running. Not a month, not three months, but a year. This is especially true for people like me, who even after seeing athletic socks, start panting. Give yourself time. A lot of time. Leave your body alone and don’t force it! Running is not torture, it should be enjoyable. And it will be if you change your perception.

Create a training schedule. You have to realize and realize that motivation will run out at some point. For me, it was usually enough for a week or two. Then I would gradually drain and eventually all my workouts would be canceled. It takes discipline to get results. Not willpower, not a bag of motivation. Just discipline. Just get up and go. You don’t feel like it? Then see point 1. If you don’t feel like it, then you have to remember why you’re doing it in the first place.

Life can’t be planned. We’ve got the workout schedule figured out, but what if you’re late for work, a friend’s birthday, or you’re sick? Your schedule isn’t written in blood. You can postpone workouts and cancel them if you really have a good reason. You don’t have to blame yourself for it and talk about being a gutless wimp. But if you’re working out zero times out of the planned two every week, you need to think about it. Is this schedule right for you? Is it a heavy workload? Do you have enough recovery time? It’s important to understand the reasons for the absences and honestly answer yourself if you want to do it all.

Treat yourself. It’s a lot more fun to start exercising if you’ve bought some great new sneakers and/or clothes. A nice bonus. You can still update your gym closet every once in a while to keep that motivation going 😉

And in the end…