For Women Runners, Motivation Is Key

My conversations about running always start the same way with the non-runners I know. It goes something like this: 

“Oh my God, you are so skinny! How do you do it?” “Oh, I’m a runner.” “Oh, I tried running but it was so

Then, one day, I started talking to a woman at one my client’s offices who had just started running to participate in a charity event. She asked me how long I had been a runner. When I told her, she wondered how I managed to get up so early in the morning and run consistently and what I recommended to stay motivated. So this got me thinking about my motivations and the little tricks I use to stay motivated and on track with my program. It’s something I haven’t thought about in a long time. Here are my thoughts – maybe you have some tricks and tips to add;

1) Keep your original motivating picture in your head. Remember why you started in the first place.

For me, that picture is an image of these incredibly healthy, fast, thin women runners running around the track at the “Y.” They had zero fat on them, their butts were small, and their breath was effortless. I’ll never forget the first time I saw them and the feeling I got…why can’t I do this too?

2) Set realistic goals. Read everything you can and talk to other runners to help you set those goals.

There’s very little you can’t learn from reading a book, magazine, website, and talking to others more experienced than yourself. As a “newbie” runner, I literally read everything I could put my hands on about running and women runners in particular. Back then, there wasn’t as much material out there as there is now – but still, what I found was incredibly motivating and inspiring. I learned about realistic training programs and what to expect at each milestone. I took the advice of others and maintained a running log, which helped me maintain a steady (but not too rapid) increase in mileage week over week.

The other thing that helped me, after I could run about 30 minutes without stopping is I enrolled in a “fun run” 5K. Nothing too serious, just a goal to work towards. That really helped me maintain my training early on, without too much pressure.

3) Run where you love. And keep it fresh.

I started running in a great city for running, Winston-Salem, NC. The city has tons of terrific routes and an abundance of choices when it comes to trails and scenic runs. Maybe where you live doesn’t have as many options, but you’d be surprised at how mixing it up a bit and exploring new routes can really help keep you motivated. Try mixing some off road stuff with treadmill, road and track workouts. This cuts down on the boredom factor.

4) Reward yourself, even for the little things.

Did you make your mileage goal this week? Set a PR on your favorite 5K route? For me, rewards usually mean a new piece of running gear – new shorts or socks – something. For you it might be enjoying a hot fudge sundae guilt-free, or buying those cute jeans you saw last week. Whatever it is, set reasonable goals and then reward yourself for a job well done. You’d be surprised how motivating keeping promises to yourself can be.

5) Make it easy to do the right thing.

For those of us who run early in the morning, it can be really tough getting up and out especially during the dark winter months. Here’s a trick: the night before, lay out everything you need to run the next morning: watch, bra, shoes, socks, tights, etc. If you have a coffee pot with a timer, set it so that the smell of fresh coffee greets you when you awake. For some reason, it seems so much easier to get up and out with all your things right where you know where you can find them easily…and the quick swig of coffee right before you head out the door doesn’t hurt either!

6) Find a partner.

Personally, I am a lone runner. I have never really had a long-term running buddy and I consider my time on the road to be one of the few times when I can be alone with my thoughts and no conversation. However, for many women runners, working out with a partner can be the difference between success and failure. Somehow it’s just harder to slack off knowing that she’s waiting for you at your designated corner. Choose a partner of equal or slightly better ability level. You’ll motivate each other, help each other maintain a good pace and have fun while you’re doing it!

Got any more tips or tricks of your own to add?

Have a great weekend!

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