How to Stay Motivated
that’s runnable
The Third Edition of your favourite weekly running newsletter
Welcome back to your weekly dose of run chat.
Your quick weekly read of insightful tips and thoughts to help you with your running.
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This week, we’re talking about motivation. Even if you absolutely love running, be honest, you can still sometimes struggle with motivation. So let’s talk about it.
Something to Think About
There’s some serious power in motivation. It’s the driving force behind every great run and every goal you set. So when you lose it, it sucks. Take some time to reflect on what ignites your passion for running. Understanding your source of motivation can help you stay committed and enthusiastic about your running journey.
Think about why you went on that very first run, if you can remember. What drove you to be curious enough to try it, and why did you do it again? Our goals change, and we often need more than our initial motivation to start running, but it can be helpful to ground ourselves with a reflection on day one.
Something to Ask Yourself
A simple question to ask yourself could be: What motivates me to run?
But, go deeper. Is it the pursuit of health, the joy of competition, the desire for personal growth, or do you need it to feel sane? Identifying your core motivations can provide clarity and direction, helping you set meaningful goals and maintain your enthusiasm even on tough days.
Article of the Week 📄
If you’re coaching yourself, it’s helpful to learn how coaches motivate their athletes to get the most out of them.
This week’s must-read is “MOTIVATION: WHAT IT IS AND HOW IT CAN BE IMPACTED BY YOUR TRAINING ENVIRONMENT” by Will Ambler from Science for Sport. Ambler talks about how motivation in athletes is driven by fulfilling needs, autonomy, competence, and goal orientation, and can be optimised through effective goal setting, education, leadership, and a supportive training environment.
Think about how you can achieve that on your own by exposing yourself to helpful resources and being your own best coach.
Track of the Week 🎶
I wanted to add one of my favourite songs of all time by the only Artist I’ve ever called “My Favourite Artist”. If you don’t know Jon Hopkins, he’s an absolute genius and has accompanied me on many a Long Run.
This week’s Track of the week is:
Emerald Rush by Jon Hopkins (2018)
Personal Lesson
Although you might see me on social media posting all about running, it might surprise you to learn it’s not the only thing I do with my life. I have a full time job and personal life, complete with my other interests (some of which don’t actually contribute to my running goals).
Although I love running, and it is my Great interest, I definitely don’t always feel up for it when I get up at 5:30AM to run 15KM before work (shock). But, I have learnt a few things over the years that help me to “do the thing”.
I’ve learnt to prep my kit the night before so Zombie Tommy doesn’t have to rummage around in his messy kit draw in the morning.
I’ve learnt not to negotiate with myself. The less choice I have of whether I’ll do the run or not, the more likely I am to get out the door.
I’ve learnt to think about all the things I gain from the run. If I don’t want to do it, even better; there’s benefit to be gained from doing what I don’t want to do.
Running - Life’s Metaphor
I’ve found running to be a great teacher for me. Learning to not wait for motivation to do what needs to be done can be applied to every aspect of your life. There will always be things we don’t want to do, but should. Motivation often follows action. You’ll seldom regret taking action and just doing the thing.
Final Thoughts
Motivation operates on two levels: deep-level motivation and everyday motivation. Deep-level motivation drives us to aim for big goals and pursue our long-term dreams. It's the vision of crossing the finish line at a marathon or dreaming of one day running 100 miles. It can also represent the deeper reasons we run, whether it’s for our mental health or being healthy for our family.
On the other hand, everyday motivation is more fleeting but equally important. It's what gets us out the door on a cold morning or pushes us to get out for some evening miles after a long day. The everyday motivation is not always going to be there. It’s a feeling, a mood, something we can't afford to wait for.
To stay motivated, we need both. Reflecting on your deep-level motivation can help you stay committed and remind you why you started running in the first place. This reflection fuels your everyday motivation, helping you show up day after day. Remember, every step you take, no matter how small, is a step towards your bigger goals. Keep your deep motivations in mind to stay inspired, and let them drive your daily actions.
Happy running and keep showing up for yourself.
Tommy ;)
