This is one of my favorite photos of myself running…
I am running towards the finish line in the San Francisco Triathlon at Alcatraz. I remember feeling so strong and happy to have had the opportunity to take part in this bucket list race. The sand ladder and trail sections on this run course afforded the most memorable running experience I have had to date. Over the last few years, my focus has been on other things and I have not run much. And, I miss it. It is time to rekindle my love of the sport. It is time to get back at it!
In my experience, when you fall out of running, there are no shortcuts to quickly regain run fitness. You just have to start RUNNING. And, those first few weeks of running aren’t very much fun. But, one run at a time, one week at a time and before you know it, you are craving your runs and asking yourself, why did I ever stop?
To set myself up for success, I’m doing all of the following:
- Scheduling: Each Sunday night I’m scheduling my runs for the upcoming week. By slotting my runs on quieter days, I am more likely to do them.
- Planning: Each night, I am laying out my run gear for the next day. It is easier to do this at night than when rushing out the door in the morning.
- Tracking: I am logging the details of each run and noting any aches and pains during and after. It’s always helpful to be able to look back at training.
- Progressing: Although I am very anxious to improve, I am taking care to not do ‘too much too soon’ by sticking to the 10% weekly volume increase guideline.
- Socializing: I am trying to meet up with others for longer runs. Chit chatting during easier, longer runs is fun and makes the time fly by.
- Racing: I am signing up for running races to add a layer of motivation and to define short-term goals.
I’m happy to report success this week. I got in all four runs I planned for myself, reached out to people to connect for weekend runs and signed up for my first running race in a while. So far so good on my quest to regain my love of running. If you are in a running funk, follow the strategies above and just get moving. All it takes is the decision to start and one step at a time. Hope to see you on the paths soon. ?
Coach Mary