I’ve been back in the running groove for a few weeks now, and I have to say, it’s as I remember it. That is to say, it’s not very glamorous, I do a lot of red-faced deep breathing from about 4 minutes in, and I have to perpetually play mind games with myself to get through it. And, when I’m not giving myself a new 30-second goal, it’s gratifying, and feels good when I’m done to know I made it happen.
Some thoughts about running, from a perpetual newbie, for the perpetual newbie:
1) If you’re going to be getting up extra early in the morning to exercise, be assured that your running shoes and your sports bra are not going to be where they should be. Even if you know where you left your running shoes, just assume that in the night leprechauns came in and moved them to the other side of the house, on a different floor. Nothing destroys motivation faster than an unanticipated hunt for shoes or sports bra; so overnight, put them in a safe zone pile right next to the alarm.
2) If you’re like me, running requires music. I wish I could be one of those people that just communes with my thoughts and appreciates nature and/or the steady beat of my exercising heart, but I’m not. A good playlist can really make or break a run for me. One poorly-paced song can make it all feel like a slog through industrial strength Jell-O where a few minutes ago, it felt like it was going pretty well. Take the time to make a playlist, or ideally several playlists, of songs you love that put you on pace. If you look forward to your playlist, it makes all the difference.
3) Speaking of that playlist, start with some shorter tracks. It makes you feel like you’re moving through time faster. (Hey, look, I’m already into the third song. I’m a rock star!) And I’m not just saying to avoid American Pie. I’ve learned from experience that if you put a playlist on random shuffle and the first song is Britney’s Til the World Ends, followed by Taylor’s Blank Space, both about four minutes, that’s the longest 8 minutes ever (no offense to the pop-alicious beat that is Brit and Tay.) Heartbeat Song by Kelly Clarkson and Love Don’t Die by the Fray are 3-minute wonders. Put those longer songs in the middle when you’re, hopefully, in the groove.
4) Don’t be afraid not to run. Sounds counter-intuitive, doesn’t it? My plan is always to get outside to run. Since I spend so much time sitting in an office building, it’s nice to remember first thing each morning that there’s a whole wide world out there. And I like to think I’m helping my circadian rhythms and my Vitamin D levels, but at healthy, off-peak sun hours. But it’s been a wet spring and early summer and for those days when I need to stay in sight of the house, I just run giant laps of my “front yard” — i.e., the park and baseball field across the street. One day, after slogging through half an hour in my front yard course, I left wet footprints up our porch stairs. It wasn’t worth it. My back-up plan is a Tracy Anderson DVD, or sometimes just powering through a load of dishes. Instead of assuming one missed day will be the beginning of the end, have faith that practicality and forward momentum can be inclusive.
5) Finally, be impressed with yourself, even when your accomplishments may pale in comparison to the countless running bloggers you may follow on Instagram for motivation. Remember, they’re motivation and inspiration, but their 8 “easy miles” (because they’re on a rest day) does not mean that my 2.5 painful miles count any less toward my own goals. My goal is to keep running. I’m like the Dory of my suburban neighborhood. Just keep swimming running. Just keep swimming running. When I finished a morning run last week, I realized that, since it had rained the evening before, each step on the baseball infield was mine. They weren’t competitively paced. They were only as valid as the next ballgame and or the next rain shower. But they were there. Because I had been.
