14 Ways To Take Care of Your Running Mojo (And Avoid Heading Back To The Couch)!

As the days are now shortening and we're leaving the glorious sunny summer to enter autumn, you may find your motivation to run drop a bit... or even a lot. I have come across a number of people who run a lot during the spring and summer and return to the couch in autumn and winter. Heck, I used to be one of them! So how exactly can you nurture your running mojo to ensure you keep on training consistently?

1. Try new routes

   There are plenty of apps to choose from if you’re feeling unimaginative and want to run a set distance. MapMyRun (free) or the Good Run Guide (fee-paying, but worth it in my view) are my personal go-to sites. If you’re feeling adventurous, why not just lace up your shoes and see where they take you?

2. Try fartlek

   You may have heard of it, but aren’t sure of what it is exactly. “fartlek” is Swedish for “speed play” and does what it says on the tin: you change your speed within your training session. This will yield both physical and mental benefits to you as a runner, such as being able to sprint towards the finish line instead of being flat out. It can be a structured session but doesn’t have to be. You can find out more about the benefits of fartlek in this short article.

3. Try naked running

   See my recent blog on this. I’ve recently experimented with it and I’m totally convinced of the benefits, both in terms of performance and enjoyment. Give it a try, I bet you won’t regret it!

4. Buy new shoes

   A few of my friends have amazing running shoe collections covering pretty much all the colours of the rainbow and for all surface types. I personally currently only have one pair that suits both road and trail surfaces but I am very excited about a running shoe fitting appointment coming up this Friday at ProFeet as it means it’s time for new shoes!! I won’t stick with my current Hokas, because as much as I wanted to like them (and they did a generally decent job for my recent ultra), my toe nails are unfortunately not looking as healthy as they used to and I really need a bigger toe box. Let’s see what I end up with this time!

5. Buy new leggings/shirts/jacket

   I don’t know about you but I can spend hours looking online at running gear shops and browsing through running clothing. I’m pretty selective and I tend to buy stuff that lasts so I don’t end up buying much but when I do I feel as excited as a kid who was given £5 to spend in a sweet shop.

6. Buy a new GPS watch

   I know that may seem like a contradiction of my point #3 above. But it doesn’t have to be. Even when I run “naked” I still take my watch for a run, so I can look at my GarminConnect or Strava stats afterwards. For me, it’s mainly the fact that I’m not looking at my watch DURING the run that makes the experience more enjoyable. Sometimes I wish I didn’t, but at the end of the day, I still like my data!

7. Talk a friend into running with you

   Do you know that friend who always say they will be starting exercising tomorrow? Challenge them to join you for that run TODAY! Because most of your running should be at conversational pace (see my previous blog post on this), there is no need for you to race each other: you can just use this as an opportunity to catch up!

8. Sign up for ParkRun

   I know I do tend to talk a lot about ParkRun. There are a number of reasons for it but mainly because there is bound to be one near you (wherever in the world you are) and it’s completely free, so no good excuse not to!

9. Sign up for a race (for an extra commitment boost, run for charity)

   It’s easy to fall off the exercise wagon if you don’t have a goal. That’s why I always try to have a few races booked on the horizon. Try to book some in the near future and potentially other longer ones in the more distant future. When the going gets tough (as we’re approaching winter and you may need to run after dark), knowing you are training to meet a defined goal will likely make getting out of the door a little bit easier. Committing to raising money for a charity that is close to your heart will give you additional purpose.

10. Run with or without music

    Try running with music if you normally run without. Try running without music if you normally run with it. There are benefits to both!

11. Book a running holiday

    There are lots of these around now. I have a running camp booked with Susie Chan and Lily Partridge in two weeks time and I just cannot wait to explore the Portugal trails with them. They may have more of these planned for the future so watch out. In the meantime look at Adventures in Movement (although I haven’t join the Costa Brava holiday yet, I am just returning from a Chi Running Instructor Workshop with Gray Caws and I have no doubt he would be just the person to help you put some enjoyment back into your running) and Running Adventures (I have a few runs booked with them in the lovely Surrey Hills although they offer running holidays across the UK and overseas).

12. Beware of overtraining

    Watch out for signs of overtraining. That’s a big one, and may be just the reason why you lost your running mojo in the first place. That doesn’t mean you need to quit running altogether, but recognize it and jazz up your training accordingly by trying some of the above.

13. Cross train

    Runners have a bit of a love/hate relationship with cross-training, but cross-training has its place in a running programme. I got injured back in March and had to cross-train for 5 weeks, mostly on an exercise bike, I didn’t like it so I invested in a hybrid so I could ride my usual running route in nature, which felt much less frustrating (almost pleasant, dare I say). Swimming is an alternative that will work your endurance, but not as complementary to running as cycling as it does not specifically work the muscles mobilised during running. Another alternative is do weights, and it’s been shown that strength training can improve running performance, as long as you focus on the right exercises.

14. Slow down

    Slow down on your easy runs. I used to hammer down all my training sessions, because that’s what I thought I had to do in order to get faster. That also pretty much meant that my “speed” training sessions were roughly at the same pace than my “easy pace” training sessions, so not only was I not reaping the benefits but also I didn’t feel like running more than 3 times a week but even so was increasing my risk of injury. Not the most clever way to get faster given that the key to running performance is con-sis-ten-cy.

Happy running! :-)