Have you ever talked yourself out of a run?

[Runningversity]

Your plan said go for a run, but somehow you persuaded yourself to skip the run. Sound familiar?

Let’s first state that actually, this might have been the RIGHT thing to do! Perhaps your body wasn’t ready for the run, so being a sensible runner (stop laughing at the back!), you talked yourself out of doing it, to get a bit more recovery and feel 100% for the next session. Pat yourself on the back and chalk it up as a success.

Or perhaps more common, your body was ready for a run, but you decided “I’ll do it later today”, and then when later arrives “I’ll be fine doing it tomorrow”.

I talk about consistency a lot, but for many of us, achieving it is harder than it should be, so how can we make sure we don’t talk ourselves out of a run?

1. Reconnect with your goals. WHY are you running? What’s driving you to follow a running plan? What will it feel like when you achieve those goals? Suddenly, getting out for the run will seem a lot more worthwhile.
2. What will happen if you don’t achieve your goals? Add a bit of stick as well as the carrot. If the need to progress doesn’t quite do the trick, the fear of going backwards might work.
3. Don’t over-think it. If you talked yourself out of a run, make it easier to get out the next time so it doesn’t become habit. Have your entire kit ready in a pile so it will take only seconds to get them on and head out of the door. No need to choose what to wear, so less dithering about. Do it on auto-pilot. The only thing that should slow you down will be a quick “Am I ready and recovered enough for this run?”
4. Spot the warning signs. “Skipping just this once won’t matter”. If you catch yourself saying this, remember this newsletter and get out there 🙂
5. Get an accountability partner (or a coach). Who do you know that will understand how important your running is? Get them to pat you on the back when you do what you said you would. And nudge you in the right direction when you slip into the start of a bad habit. Could they contact you once a week for a progress chat?

We are all different, so which one or two of these is going to make the biggest difference to keeping you on track?

Have you got any tips that work for you?

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