On the subject of…..enjoying it!

You’ve got to enjoy it – that’s my final word on the subject! Well actually, it’s not of course. There are plenty of reasons to take up running. For many, it’s simply a fairly convenient way of getting some regular exercise, usually outdoors in fresh air. That’s probably a good enough reason in itself and needs no other justification. For a fortunate few, it happens to be a sport that they naturally excel at, and with a bit of hard work and application they might achieve some degree of success, which is always gratifying. Many are lured into the sport by the temptation of having a go at a race – maybe a 10k, half marathon, or even a full marathon. Some will find the social aspect of joining a running club, or just jogging with friends is the motivator. For me, it was just a sport that I love – simple as that. Although on one level you can argue that it’s a very basic sport, requiring little or no expertise to get started, there are many different facets and disciplines involved.  The more you do, the more you’ll discover. The spectrum goes from the occasional jogger using it as a part of a fitness regime, through to the super competitive athlete seeking to achieve great things and for whom it becomes a way of life.

It won’t always be fun – everyone has their off days, when even a gentle jog feels like hard work, but most of the time you should feel better for having made the effort to get out there! If however, you find that you’re getting little pleasure from your running, or that it always feels like a chore that you’d rather not do, it’s time to consider what’s going wrong and whether you should approach it from a different angle. Some people love the solitude of running on their own, but if you’re going through a bad patch, hooking up with friends or clubmates may be just what you need to turn the corner and get the fun back into it. Perhaps you aren’t improving as much as you want to? There are plenty of training tricks and techniques that will get results and change your perspective on training. I’ll cover them off in forthcoming posts. Maybe you’ve allowed yourself to get into a rut of always using the same route? Work out some new routes – get an ordnance survey explorer map (more of which on another day) and discover new footpaths. And just occasionally you really will get a bit stale and need a rest. Don’t be afraid to take a complete break from it and recharge your batteries. You’ll know when it’s time to get your shoes back on.

Whatever it is that motivates you to run, there’s one thing that you absolutely must do: Enjoy it!!! 

Next up: On the subject of…..marathoning.

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