1) Go long Saturday or Sunday
If you aren’t already committed to doing your long runs on the weekend, go ahead and start now. Whether your long run is 4 miles or 12 miles, aim to go 10% more than you are running right now.
Get to sleep early on Friday or Saturday night and lay out your clothes the night before to limit your excuses.
2) Sign up for a race
Force your hand by giving yourself a goal race. If you already have something on the calendar, sign up for a shorter race as a tune up or training run. The commitment is great incentive to push yourself in the forthcoming weeks to be prepared.
3) Schedule for the upcoming week or month
Start or revisit your goals. Put your running schedule on the calendar as appointments. Give yourself very specific mileage, times, and/or paces on all but 1 workout per week.
4) Join a group run
Reinvigorate your love of the run by joining others. There are usually both informal and formal options nearby even if you live in a smaller town.
Check out your local running store or fitness center for suggestions if you don’t already know of a network of runners. Most are open to any paces, any distance, and are always seeking new members.
5) Find a new route to run
Although the usual running route can be comfortable and often a good gauge of fitness, finding a new route can spark your routine. Use resources such as MapMyRun or Strava to discover places nearby that you’ve never explored. You might even find your new favorite running spot!
Carissa Liebowitz has run the Boston Marathon as well as dozens of marathons and half marathons. You can follow her running adventures on Instagram and her blog.
