Running Motivation – How To Keep Negative Thoughts At Bay And Keep Going
When we decide to take up running we feel energised, excited, positive and motivated. I certainly did! We feel the buzz of a new idea, a new challenge, we can see our new better selves in not so distant future. Things feel positively great – but do they stay that way all along? How to keep up the momentum, that initial running motivation?
In order to achieve something, we need to want to achieve something, we need willingness to do something, we need motivation to drive us. Nobody will become a concert violinist without motivation (and a huge chunk of talent, admittedly). Nobody cooks that perfect dinner without motivation. Nobody becomes a brilliant recreational runner without being motivated.
Running motivation is a powerful driving force, a mental booster behind all running ideas.
I must admit, I always lacked any motivation to become a concert violinist, but at times I can prepare a fairly good dinner. When it came to recreational running I was motivated alright. Middle-aged physically inactive man, frustrated about not being able to climb several flights of stairs without losing breath.
Those were the things that would not get better with age. I had passed the point where the body was still developing, I’d passed that point around 38 years ago. At 52 I decided, fuelled by strong motivation, to become better physically.
I wanted to be able to walk and stand straight, loose some of that wonky stuff that was forming around the waist and generally feel better about myself.
The more I thought about the possible outcomes, the more my self-belief powered by motivation grew.
Is running motivation constant?
In my case it is constant, but there are times when it can be challenged. Whilst the plans are still on the drawing board, we tend to think positively about what we can achieve as amateur runners.
The challenge becomes real when we start venturing out. That’s where motivation is put to test. I somehow felt that there would be difficulties, although I wasn’t sure what difficulties to expect. I knew very little about running. However, I was always motivated by the end target, being able to run, and that always pushed my negative thoughts away.
What are those negative thoughts?
They are the ones that want to put a stop on your positive thinking, thinking created by your motivation. People are different and many are self-conscious. Many may find the thought of running in the park or in the gym with not much clothes on, and without a perfect athlete’s body, daunting.
Many may think it’s all a mistake, they would only embarrass themselves and will end up feeling stupid. ‘What’s the point in all this, I’ll never get anywhere…’.
How to beat those first negative thoughts and remain motivated?
Think of your target, think what you want to change about yourself! Remind yourself of what can be achieved, think of yourself as somebody who can do it with heart and backbone.
Remember, you are not practising to become a concert violinist, you simply want to put on a pair of shoes and take a spin in the park! Do you honestly believe that other park visitors will stand there and analyse a random person running around?
Realistically, nobody will even notice you. It’s your own world.
OK, now I’m in the park, nobody is noticing me… but running turns out to be more difficult than I thought
Any new physical activity is a learning process for mind and body. It will take years in a swimming school before a kid starts swimming butterfly.
When I took the first running strides I ran in a pair of inadequate shoes without insoles that I needed badly. My hips were out of balance, the out of sync body applied more pressure to one of the knees, the experience hurt me.
I was meant to go out and enjoy myself, not feel discomfort.
Some people would at that stage think that the whole running thing is a mistake, crazy from the start. Well, I didn’t. I thought, hang on. There must be a reason for this, let’s go and find out what’s causing the issues. The physio fixed the my hurting runner’s knee, I got proper shoes that fit and also the insoles, the last missing link.
From then on my running changed completely. The discomfort was gone and I was ready to move on and focus on building up my endurance. The more you run, the stronger you become, the easier it will all get.
Will negative thoughts come back?
Of course they will, they have nothing else to do but wait for our moment of weakness. The thing is they will lose the fight against positive thoughts empowered by strong motivation.
Anybody who’s been injured will know this. Anyone who’s come back from injury mentally stronger will understand this. Depending on your running journey there will be various obstacles, from injuries to bad weather or poor shoes and there will be some doubts in your mind.
Motivation can create positive attitude, and positive attitude will deal with negative thoughts and prepare you well for the next challenge.
In summary, who’s the winner – positive or negative thoughts?
That’s where we call the shots and we decide – I say positive all day long. Your motivation is strongly positive, without a doubt. You want to achieve something that is relatively simple and definitely possible.
An injury may delay your progress but an injury can heal. A longer or repetitive injury may start a flurry of negative thoughts where you might question your abilities, thinking of your journey as an utter failure but, hey, a good doctor may stop your injury streak and you can go back to running.
You are not exposing yourself to strains and pressures of professional competitive running, you are not even competing. You are taking a leisurely jog in a park, in your own time and place. No negative thought can ruin that.
When you are consistent, you grow more confident, the doubts and negativity will be pushed aside, you will feel more relaxed and free to enjoy your running.
No doubt, your running motivation can maintain you positive and take you all the way to any of your realistic targets – go and take them!
2 Comments
Submit a Comment
I hope that sharing my story, and what I have learned along this journey, will inspire you to get started and to keep going. To keep striving and being the best you can be. In running and in life.
Be.Your.Best.
more blog posts…
The Importance of Electrolytes – What Every Runner Needs to Know
What are electrolytes? Electro-lite-whaat?! (I can hear you ask) Basically, electrolytes are a band of little guys that conduct electricity in water. Our cells and organs use tiny electrical signals to communicate with each other, and so we need a constant supply of...
Running From 5K To 10K To Ultra Marathon – How I Hit My Targets And Increased My Distances……Even If At Times I Thought I Couldn’t
In the beginning there was one simple aim for me - being able to run at 52. I was very unfit and rusty to say the least. But once I discovered and mastered those early running tips and understood what’s necessary in order to run comfortably and with relative ease, I...
How I Plan My Runs
I read that professional marathon runners train twice daily, six days per week in general. They are the people who will run the marathon in 2.15hr and below. Their speed is simply insane and incomprehensible for amateur runners. They plan their lives, their lives...
5 Reasons Why Runners Get Injured
We, the runners, participate in impact activity where we pummel the ground with our feet and send shockwaves throughout the body. Body doesn’t like shocks and the moment will come when the alarm will ring and we might get injured. Not the most comforting intro into a...
7 Seriously Useful Tips For Running in Cold Weather
Table of contents 1. The first thing to consider when running in cold weather 2. Don’t forget hydration! What? Hydration in the cold? 3. The importance of Stretching when running in cold weather 4. If running in the dark and alone... 5. Running in the winter rain - or...
5 Beginner Runner’s Frustrations And How To Overcome Them
Once we have decided that running will be our way of getting fitter and healthier we start feeling positive and content. Next we shop around for shoes, clothes and some accessories, it’s part of the fun. The choice between running in the gym or outdoors has been made....
The Benefits of Running and How I Got The Most Out Of It
We all know that runners of any shape, form, age and skill enjoy many benefits of running. But what precisely are they? I'm one of those people who swapped sedentary lifestyle and took up running in my fifties. I was told by my friendly doctor that I should 'work on...
Why I Love Running In London (The Amazing Things I Get To See While I Run)
Before I became a runner I lived and explored London by usual London means. Either sitting in road traffic on a red double-decker or inside my car, or travelling on busy trains or the packed Tube. Outside the rush-hour and at weekends train travel was a bit easier but...
SUBSCRIBE TO MY BLOG
No social media or google account? No worries – you can subscribe with your email address:
This is helpful, thank you! I’ve struggled with motivation for a long time and only recently took up running – which helped my mental health greatly!
Jo
Hey Jo! That’s great to hear! Any physical activity, and running is the most popular, will help boost our energy and improve our physical condition and mental health. Even short regular runs are enough to make the difference. Keep running & enjoy yourself!