The Secret to Becoming a Runner Is a Good Daily Routine.
It’s been almost a month since I ran the New York City Marathon . I knew that after such an emotional experience, the longer it took me to lace up my shoes again, the more difficult it would be. I’ve missed writing my weekly posts about all things marathon training, and now that I’m finally pounding the pavement again, I thought I’d throw you a running hack.
For me, the hardest part about returning to running after a break is establishing a new routine. What do you do if you don’t follow a strict (well, semi-strict) training plan? Especially for people who don’t consider themselves runners at all – what do you do? There are many reasons why someone might have a hard time getting into running, but I believe the main culprit is a lack of planning. You must find a balance between ambition and flexibility, and then take responsibility for executing your plan. Let’s look at why the secret to becoming a runner lies in the strength of your training regimen and how you can establish a running routine yourself.
How to set up a running routine
Time and time again, my friends tell me they started running but lost interest (or quit) after a few weeks. Numbers vary, but one study suggests that it usually takes about two months to do something for it to become a habit, and many of us don’t do it that long. Then again, as Lifehacker’s senior health editor Beth Skwarecki previously explained , much of our talk about “habits” isn’t really about habit formation, but behavior change . She gives this example: “ You can think of “running every morning” as a simple habit. But there are many things that help you become the kind of person for whom running every morning is actually easy .”
Your daily routine—and how well you stick to it—will determine whether you’ll incorporate running into your life in the long run. Here are some tips on how to become a person who finds it easy to run every morning.
Set realistic goals
You’re more likely to maintain your running habit if you start with small goals. This may mean you need to hold yourself back a little , both in terms of pace and distance. (This topic means a lot to me; one of my first posts on Lifehacker was about running slower to run faster .)
Don’t expect to run your first marathon next week if you’re just starting out. Set progressive mini-goals, such as running a mile without walking, being able to jog continuously for 30 minutes, or cutting your 5K time by 5-10 minutes. This will help you track your progress and keep you motivated.
Create calendar events for yourself
In fact, plan your runs like you would other important commitments. It’s easy to make excuses if your running is casual or sporadic. Make sure it’s on your calendar like clockwork; morning is great for avoiding fatigue and interference in life later.
Build up gradually and slow down
I believe the reason many people claim they hate running is because they actually run. This sets them up to tire out sooner than they would like, convincing them that they cannot run long distances and confirming their assumption that “running is not for them.”
Remember that your cardiovascular and musculoskeletal systems need time to adapt. Start with short runs mixed with walking once or twice a week and increase the duration, distance and frequency by no more than 10% each week to prevent overuse injuries.
Prepare your equipment
Preparing gear such as a running watch, shoes, weather-appropriate clothing, water bottle and headphones ahead of time goes a long way, rather than scrambling or putting it off if you can’t find the item. Being prepared to work will make it much easier to stick to your daily routine.
Skip numbers (for now)
Runners are obsessed with wearable devices or apps to track metrics like distance, pace, heart rate and splits. I get it: Pattern analysis provides valuable feedback, identifies strengths and weaknesses, and helps you strive for new achievements, like your upcoming 5K PR.
But if your main goal now is simply to establish a daily routine, I suggest you ditch the metrics. Your priority now is consistency. Try running intuitively and doing it slowly , and you might even start to enjoy running . Personally, I think there is nothing more rewarding for your routine than having fun in your routine.