55: 11 Things That Help Me Stay Consistent with Solo Running

Have you ever trained for a race and then when the race was done, you just stopped running?

Or maybe when all the races were cancelled because of the pandemic, your motivation was gone and you stopped running.

Or maybe you were running but then something unexpected happened in life. Maybe a good unexpected thing like you moved or a family member came to visit or a not so great unexpected thing like your dog got sick.

I know you've been struggling with consistency when it comes to running this past year and for some time before the pandemic too. I used to struggle with this too, but I don't anymore. Now I consistently run 5 times a week and have no plans to stop!

I want to teach some things that work for me and can help you solve your consistency problem too.

1. Set boundaries on your time and teach them to yourself and others in your house.

So If you want to be consistent with running, you're going to need to set some boundaries on how your time is spent. You might have a significant other, roommates, or kids who like to spend time with you. You have to explicitly tell these people ahead of time something like, "Hey. I am going to spend some time each day moving my body. This is really important to me because it helps me feel good and it's is a way I take care of myself. When I don't take time for myself, I don't feel so great and usually those are the times I lash out at you! So I am going to be taking some time for myself. When you see me getting ready to go for a run, that's not the time to be asking me to do something for you, got it?" 

Ok cool. In the beginning when you are getting ready to go for a run, these people haven't learned these boundaries and are going to try to spend time with you or ask for a favor. They're not bad people. They just don't know you're serious about these boundaries. To teach them you're serious, you just have to remind them, "Hey. I can definitely spend some time doing that thing, but right now I am going for a short run otherwise I will feel terrible and not be a nice person. I will have time later for that thing you asked for. Thanks so much." And then you leave and go for the run.

Remember, there are 1440 minutes in a day. You taking 20-60 minutes for self-care is 1-4% of the minutes in a day. You deserve that time for yourself.

If you're serious about being consistent, you have to set boundaries, explicitly teach them, and consistently enforce them. After a few weeks, your people will learn what's up and not push.

2. Go first thing in the morning rather than later in the day.

This one took me a while to learn because I am not naturally a morning person. I don't jump out of bed excited for the day. I procrastinate on everything, and then I get pissed at myself because things don't get done.

I had to feel that pain for a long time until I decided to come up with a plan to alleviate that pain.

So now instead of procrastinating and having to deal with the anxiety all day long if I will or won't exercise, I just get it done first thing in the morning. Wake up and go.

There are times I might go to an exercise class or a group run later in the day, but that doesn't always happen. Morning movement does always happen. Mornings are when you have the most control over your time.

If you want to be consistent with running, just go first thing in the morning. Wake up and go. Anything you do later in the day is bonus points.

3. Set a length of time to run rather than a distance.

This is new for me, and I freaking love it. I have no plans to gather in a large group and run a race until this pandemic is over, so there aren't any set distances that I need to cover or build up to. No training plan. Just running for me.

Setting a timer helps me get shit done. I gave myself 60 minutes to write this blog and knowing I only have 60 minutes to write it is helping me get it done. 

During the week, I only run for 20 minutes in the morning. Knowing I only have to run for 20 minutes helps me get it done. If I am feeling it and loving the run, I may run for a bit longer, but again, extra minutes = extra credit. I am focusing on the minumum of 20 minutes, and it's working to ease my thoughts about going.

If you want to be consistent with running, just first focus on showing up consistently. Focus on attendance first rather than the distance. You can focus on distance later on.

4. Don't look at your pace.

Running coaches won't like this tip, but I am not a running coach! I am a health and life coach who focuses on habits, consistency, mental health, and overall physical health.

I don't care about my speed. I am just out to feel the air, get out of my house, and get out of my head and into my body. I hate playing games with myself about how I am not running fast enough or I didn't do a great job on the run. Fuck that. I'm over it. I'm not paid to be fast. It's not my job. I just want to move my body to feel good/not gross.

If you want to be consistent with running, just first focus on showing up consistently. Focus on attendance first rather than pace. You can focus on pace later on. (Or not at all! I don't!)

5. Play a podcast or music you like.

Sometimes I love just being in my environment and enjoying the sounds that go with it. Sometimes I love counting my steps. Sometimes I love looking for the letters A-Z on signs.

And sometimes my thoughts are running faster than my body and I am thinking about a conversation I had when I was 23 and completely embarrassed myself which reminds me of another time I did something stupid and wow, I can't believe what a shitty person I am.

During those times, I need a podcast or music to ease my thoughts. My monkey brain needs some guidance to calm the fuck down, and playing a podcast or music helps my thoughts. Listening to Serial- Season One helped me learn to run long distances and complete my first half marathon. I also enjoy This American Life. Go to their archives. There are over 600 episodes! I enjoy Planet Money and The Indicator for short 20 minute runs. And lately, I've been enjoying A Little Bit Culty all about the NXIVM cult. And hey, you can listen to my podcast, Actually, You Are a Real Runner. I have over 200 episodes on there! You can listen to my fav music on my Spotify Playlist here.

If you want to be consistent with running, you need to have a plan for what to do with your thoughts while running. Podcasts and music can help ease your monkey thoughts.

6. Think about the pain you are going to feel if you don't go and then quick switch to thinking about the pleasure you are going to feel after you are done.

This is more of a thing that gets me to show up.  Attendance matters! And there's always a thought in my head to just stay in bed and not bother, and when I hear myself say that,

I remind myself to think about the pain I will feel if I don't go: I'll be pissed at myself later, I am more likely to feel irritable and get in a fight with my husband, I am less likely to feel good about the day and myself.

And then I quick switch to thinking about the pleasure I get to feel after I go: I'll be pleased with myself, my legs will feel stronger, I am more likely to be a good human towards myself and anyone I encounter.

If you want to be consistent with running, when you hear yourself say you don't have to go, think about the pain you will feel if you don't go and then think about the pleasure you will feel if you do go.

7. Have a magical action thought ready.

A lot of people think that they're supposed to want to do the thing everyday, and so on days they don't want to do the thing, they just don't go. But not going doesn't leave you feeling so great. To be consistent, you have to go even on the days you don't want to go.

Truthfully, my natural self would just stay in bed all day if l let myself. I can't listen to these unhelpful thoughts and let myself stay in bed all day otherwise I fall into a terrible depressive hole and everything in life feels hard. I need to go run. Even on the days I don't want to. 

I talked more indepth about magical action thoughts here. It's basically this- there are days you are not going to want to go and doing the action will feel overwhelming. You need a thought ready that will help you take action.

Lately, mine is: "Jaclyn, just get outside." And once I'm outside, I'm like oh, this really isn't hard or terrible, and my body starts moving!

If you want to be consistent with running, you're going to need a magical action thought ready for the days you don't want to go.

8. Go to different parts of your neighborhood.

This is one of the coolest parts of running. You get to explore areas you wouldn't normally be in. You see things you wouldn't normally see while in your car.

We don't live in a super cool area, but I still find super interesting things on my runs.

The other day, there was just a duck walking in the middle of a side street! I was like, "Duck, what are you doing here?!"

I also found a cool bridge over a railroad where I can see the downtown skyline.

I don't live in a cool area, but I find cool things. And when I find cool things, it brightens my mood and keeps running interesting. Running can be exploration! 

If you want to be consistent with running, go to different areas and notice cool things! It will help you want to run so you can explore.

9. Give yourself the option to walk if the run just completely sucks.

My mood has been all over the place during this pandemic and doubly all over the place during this last month with Jameson sick and the passing of Paul's dad.

I still have to leave the house and move my body. It's a non-negotiable for my mental health, but if I am just so low energy, I have the option to just walk. Instead of going home and saying that I'm not doing anything, I just walk.

I get to keep the habit of leaving the house everyday and just substitute a different movement. It's fine. It helps to keep me consistent with daily movement.

If you want to be consistent with running, give yourself the option to walk. I know it sounds weird, but it helps you show up consistently and do something/anything instead of all/nothing.

10. Color in your 365 Habit Tracker.

The 365 Habit Tracker is a cool little scoreboard to show yourself your daily actions. I tend to get in my head that I am not doing enough, and then I look at my 365 Habit Tracker and am like, "Oh, actually you've been going for runs for the last 3 months. You've been lifting weights consistently for the last 13 months. You've been riding your bike for the last 5 months."

The 365 Habit Tracker is also a good push to go. You want to color in the square. You want to see yourself making progress. It helps you want to show up and do the thing.

When it was super cold in February, I counted even 1 minute of running as running. The point was that I keep doing an action to uphold my identity as a runner instead of waiting for it to be war out to run. I ran back and forth in front of my house where there was no ice and I ran back and forth in my basement. Something/anything counted as a square. Once it got warmer out, I increased my time to 20 minutes. It feels good to see so many squares colored. It reminds me that I am showing up and doing the thing.

If you want to be consistent with running, start tracking your daily actions. Color in a square on The 365 Habit Tracker.

Go here to get your free copy of the tracker.

11. Don't do the "don't break the chain" thing with The 365 Habit Tracker. 

So many people will use the tracker and then think they have to be perfect and if they mess up, they just stop showing up. No, don't do that. The tracker is there to help you see your daily actions. Your reps. How silly to think you have to be perfect and if you aren't perfect, you should just say F IT.

Use the tracker to show up consistently, and when you miss a day and break the chain, just show up again.

If you want to be consistent with running, consistently take daily action, and if you miss a day, just show up again.

This pandemic has been a whammy, but this is also the most consistent I have ever been with movement. Not running any races and not putting pressure on myself to get a result. Just focusing on consistent daily actions.

To stay consistent with running, gives these 11 things a shot:

1. Set boundaries on your time and teach them to yourself and others in your house.

2. Go first thing in the morning rather than later in the day.

3. Set a length of time to run rather than a distance.

4. Don't look at your pace.

5. Play a podcast or music you like.

6. Think about the pain you are going to feel if you don't go and then quick switch to thinking about the pleasure you are going to feel after you are done.

7. Have a magical action thought ready.

8. Go to different parts of your neighborhood.

9. Give yourself the option to walk if the run just completely sucks.

10. Color in your 365 Habit Tracker.

11. Don't do the "don't break the chain" thing with The 365 Habit Tracker. 

Are you running now? Just starting out or getting back to it after a break? Send me an email at [email protected].

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xo,

Jaclyn