How To Motivate Yourself To Run — Bethan Taylor-Swaine

Running has been a huge part of my life for the best part of a decade, but that doesn’t mean it’s always easy for me to get out for a run! Sometimes it’s raining, sometimes it’s cold, sometimes I’m tired, or I ache, or I’m not in the mood. Basically, I’m a human and sometimes I don’t want to do things even if they’re things that make me feel good!

How do you bust out of the funk and get up and out for a run even when you don’t want to? It’s not always easy, but here are a few of my tried and trusted methods that’ll get you out the door and leave you wondering why you were so reluctant to go for a run in the first place.

Mix It Up

Running the same routes over and over again can get really tedious. Mixing things up and exploring new places can be a great way to fall back in love with running.

Not sure where to start? Here are a few ideas:

Apps like Komoot and Strava have tools that can suggest routes based on everything from distance to terrain.
Footpath is a handy app that allows you to plot your own route.
I love to take the tube to a part of town I don’t really know and then run home.

Find Your Tribe

Having people around you who inspire you motivate and inspire you to run is invaluable when things get hard and my running friends are one of the reasons I’ve kept going all these years. When I first started out I connected with other runners through Instagram and found a tribe of amazing people who’ve supported me through running (and life’s) ups and downs, and I know when I’m struggling there’ll be someone there to give me the pep talk I need to get out of the house.

Make It A (non-negotiable) Habit

Forming habits takes effort, but the pay off is huge! Once you’ve got the habit down you’ll save yourself tonnes of time and energy because you won’t spend lots of time deliberating about whether you want to go for a run or not, you’ll just do it because that’s what you do!

I have to admit I’ve not totally nailed my running habit I do make an effort to make running part of my routine. At the moment I am training for London Marathon 2022 has really helped me as it means I need to stick to a plan and once my sessions are in my diary they are non-negotiable. When I’m not training for a race I have a rule where I run every day that I work, Mike always goes for a run after the nursery run and in the past I’ve run to and from work. However you do it, making running part of your routine is a great way to make it a non-negotiable habit.

Know When To Rest

Sometimes not feeling motivated to run is actually a sign you need to rest.

Whether you’re training for a marathon or working on a big project at work or school, you’re putting yourself under stressed and you become tired both physically and mentally. When you are tired the risk of injury and psychological breakdown increases so you need to rest to allow recovery and growth. When we’re rested we get more done, we’re more creative and we are happier. If you don’t rest you can compound the negative effects of stress and it becomes even more stressful as you feel like you ‘can’t’ do something because you’re burnt out.

Take some time to think about what’s been going on in your life. Have you been getting enough rest? Are you experiencing a lot of stress at the moment? Skipping a session isn’t going to derail your running career, but burnout might, so assess the situation and take the day off if you need to.

Get A Race Booked In

My number 1 tip when you lack the motivation to run? Get a race booked in and give yourself a goal to work towards!

There are some great races coming up over the next few months, here are some to check out:

I’ve taken part in RunThrough Events for years and it’s been such a joy to see the company expand. You really can’t go wrong with any of these friendly, affordable races.
It’s not too late to enter London Marathon 2022! I love that London Marathon now offers a virtual event that means you can take on 26.2 miles your way, on the route of your choice, at any time from 00:00 to 23:59:59 BST on Sunday 2 October 2022. You can do it with your friends, on your own, from home or away and even in stages.
Fancy trying trail running? Black To The Trails on Sunday 11 September 2022 is an inclusive event run event for EVERYONE no matter their ability. There are kids distances, the brand new and the more experienced trail runner. Hosted by Black Trail Runners you know it’ll be a party on Dunstable Downs. Also I’ll be there celebrating my birthday and introducing Evie to trail running.
If you’re up for a real challenge The Maverick Exposure Lights Dark on 3 December 2022 could be perfect. Trail running after dark isn’t for the faint hearted, but it is a thrill! There are three challenging routes that will see you immerse yourself deep in your surroundings as you navigate the trails and avoid taking a tumble.