Life Habits: What helps or hinders your running?

Just starting out with Get Running? Chat about the basics of running, what clothes to wear, where to run... anything you like!
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benjohn
Posts: 453
Joined: Sat Jan 09, 2010 4:03 pm

Life Habits: What helps or hinders your running?

Post by benjohn »

With Couch to 5K, some people manage to stick with it, but others don't. I'd love to get your thoughts on the things (everything) that help or hinder you.

I'm talking about everything in your life that has an effect. Perhaps for you the bad things are long hours at work, no time to get away from your young kids, the cold and dark outside… The good things might be talking to friends about your running exploits, enjoying seeing the morning sun when your neighbourhood is quiet, or feeling you've earned the glass-of-orange-and-a-croissant café stop on the way to work…

What makes it right for you, and where is it wrong? What do you find are your own good and bad life habits?

Thinking about it and writing it down will be useful to everyone who's going through the program and might help you to see where you could could make improvements too, or where you're getting everything just right.
SteaIthg
Posts: 4
Joined: Sat Feb 20, 2010 11:22 am

Re: Life Habits: What helps or hinders your running?

Post by SteaIthg »

I stopped the course for nearly three weeks now and I am not proud to do so. It started when I got sick with the flu and then getting back to waking up at 5 in the morning for a run seemed so much harder. It also doesn't help that thing have been hectic at work and when I get home the last thing on my mind is running or anything active for that matter.

People keep on telling me that running will be fun after awhile but it seems like I'm dreading going running nowadays. Don't get me wrong I want to love running, I just don't know how to get my body and mind in sync into thinking so. I am really stumped with how to get to this point and I know that stopping doesn't exactly help but does anyone have any suggetions? :|
benjohn
Posts: 453
Joined: Sat Jan 09, 2010 4:03 pm

Re: Life Habits: What helps or hinders your running?

Post by benjohn »

That's tough.

Something that's helped me a lot is running with someone else. Could you do that morning run with someone, that's a great incentive to get up and show your face :-)

Another option – could you run during your work lunch break (you need work showers for that, really). Also – perhaps you could give yourself an earlier night before a run the next day, making the waking up easier. How about allowing yourself a treat on the way to work, after the morning run, if you do it (like ten minutes to read a paper and have a coffee, or what ever floats your boat). This would be an incentive to get that early night before hand and then get up!

On the enjoying it thing, it took me a long time to get to enjoying running (rather than relaxing after) too! I think I really started to enjoy it when I realised I didn't need to be pushing myself all the time, and I could just go out and run for a bit, then come home and shower. Maybe you should try that at your current level. Use Get Running, but go back a few weeks, or simply finish earlier.

I hope other people will have some ideas too, I'm not sure mine are very good :-}
Dawn
Posts: 165
Joined: Mon Feb 15, 2010 3:38 pm

Re: Life Habits: What helps or hinders your running?

Post by Dawn »

A great post topic!

What helps me is :
Having the dogs to run with - if i don't feel like it as long as I put my running gear on when we go out, even if I tell myself I might not run - I do - it's just getting out of the door!
I have found the right time of day for me - Early mornings - I hate it in the afternoon.
Running somewhere i love - the hills and the woods (im lucky to have them near)
Having a long distance running buddy - we txt to check on each other!!! lol
Bad weather - I Love being out in the bad weather!
Hanging on to what I like about it - not setting myself massive goals - just want to enjoy it.
Oh...and the app of course....the prompts...I am a bit worried that I will never be able to run without them!! ;)

Hmmm what hinders??? :

My head!!!! Sometimes I have to give myself a good talking to to get me up and out of bed!!
University or early starts at work - I commute long distance so If I have to be at work early I can't run.
Not getting to bed early enough the night before a run.

....I am loving it right now - the solitary nature of it suits me to the tee! And I have never done exercise before that makes me feel so good...and other runners are so supportive - it's like a secret club!! ;)

Looking forward to hear more from everyone ...:)
LoeRennt
Posts: 19
Joined: Sat Mar 06, 2010 6:26 pm

Re: Life Habits: What helps or hinders your running?

Post by LoeRennt »

This is interesting to read and to think about!

What hinders:

My mindset:
- I'm not fit enough to run.
- I look like a fool running so slowly and walking in my running gear
- I have better things to do
etc etc etc
I just tell myself to shut up. i' getting fitter with every workout. This was hard to notice in the first few weeks, but very noticable now. I may look like a fool, but at least I'm a fool that's out there and going for it. More fool to anyone still on their couches! And what better thing to do than work on my health and selfconfidence?

The Weather
When it's bad I don't want to go out. Luckily spring is starting, so I guess I picked a perfect time to start this program.

High heels
Whenever I've walked on them my legs feel awful these days. And then when I start running... ouch!!


What helps:

Blogging
I'm keeping a blog in which I write (for myself) how each run went, how my mood was, how my body felt (breathing and legs), what adventures happened along the way.
It really motivates me because now, when I read how out of breath I was in week one, or how I begged the Getting Running App Lady to announce the end of a 3 minute run, I can really see my progress.

My dog
He so loves the running and it is really a thing we are doing together. The excitement on his face when I put my running outfit on is so worth it!

Getting fitter
I can feel how I have stronger legs and I don't easily get out of breath anymore.

Level up
The fact that this program actually gives you small milestones and you can reach them every week. I'm insanely proud of finishing each week and I already look forward to the feeling of accomplishment I'll get next week.

The Get Running App Lady
She has a very friendly voice and is genuinly encouraging. This helps me enourmously. If she says that I can do it, I believe her :-)

My family
They were very sceptical about me starting to run. I used to hate running. They actually giggled. But now that I'm progressing every week and I'm still at it they are starting to see I'm serious. I think my sister is about as curiuos to see if I can run w5d3 at the end of this week as I am!

A race
I read this somewhere online - apparently it motivates when you have in mibd ehich race you will run at the end of it. I've picked two. One I will definitely run and one that I will register for if I finish w6d1 in the next two weeks. I agree with whoever wrote it - it motivates me a lot to have this very concrete goal in mind.
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