Runner’s block, not writer’s block. You read it right! It’s a mental block directly related to running, and yes it’s a real thing!
Let me say, I am no stranger to running. I ran track in middle, in high school I ran cross country and I was on the varsity track team. Now fast forward to my 30s and I HATE running. I legit get nauseous and/or anxious thinking about it. Yet, if I don’t run, then my other forms of cardio include the elliptical, stair master, row or bike and let’s just face it, there is nothing and I mean nothing like a runner’s high.
So I decided to make running a habit. Every time I walk into the gym I have to run. That’s my habit. I didn’t stipulate how fast or for how long, but every time I workout in a gym, I have demanded (from myself) that I run. This doesn’t seem like too hard of a goal… at least it didn’t until I realized I had runner’s block. I literally felt dread every time I looked at a treadmill. How am I overcoming the block?
Keep Reading to find out!
CREATE A FIRE PLAYLIST
This is self explanatory. Music fuels everything! I literally have a “running” (pun intended) RUN playlist and a MOTIVATION playlist on deck to fuel my mindset during my runs. If a song comes on that I like, it’s that much eazier for me to get lost in the music and even forget that I’m running.
WARM UP
I noticed that if my legs feel stiff and it’s hard to move them, it makes the exercise extremely uncomfortable and therefore unpleasant for me. Doing a proper warm up can not only change how your body feels during the run, but it can also prevent injuries and enhance performance.
PRACTICE MINDFULNESS DURING YOUR RUN
One of the benefits of mindfulness is that it enables you to focus and be present in the moment. If you can learn to be more present for your run, you might learn that there is joy to be found in the movement. Some mindfulness exercises can be counting your inhales and exhales or visualizing yourself running on a path at your ideal destination.
SLOW DOWN INSTEAD OF GIVING UP
For a while my whole focus was on getting faster. Run faster Run faster, but then I realized that my urgency to speed up was actually slowing me down because I would feel blocked during the run and then quit. Instead of pushing myself to the point of quitting, I decided to just slow down and allow my habit to evolve in its own time.
ALTERNATE BETWEEN LONG AND SHORT DISTANCES
Long runs can be boring! I mean how much can you think about for three miles?! And do we even want to be thinking that much?? To eliminate boredom I try to add variety by doing tabata runs or uphill sprints.
FIND A TRIBE
I honestly can’t stress this enough!! Use the people around you to help motivate you! When you have someone who shares a common goal, the journey to the finish line is that much eazier and that much sweeter! Don’t do it by yourself if you don’t have to.
Have you ever dealt with runner’s block? Drop your tips and tricks for breaking through! I’d love to hear from you!
