HELP ME FIND MOTIVATION TO GET BACK INTO RUNNING!!

[juicychops]

last summer i was up to 6 miles 2-3 times per week. i then stopped.

i am trying to get back into it but its such an effort to force myself out the house. I ran last tuesday and the tuesday before that - 3 miles each time, but i couldn't force myself out last night. i had an injection in the sole of my foot last wednesday so have been waiting for the bruising to heal - which has been my new excuse. it has now gone so need to force myself out tonight and then 3-4 times per week.

how do i do this? really struggling. once i get started il be fine but im dreading the first few weeks HELP

Hi juicy. I have just been for my first run of the year. I was doing 5 mile runs 2/3 times a week til end of November.

I know it can be hard to get motivated but like you say once your out there its great. I've got a place on the Manchester 10k run in May so that has helped motivate me as I'm running for SANDS. I have lots of uplifting songs on my i-pod which kind of spurs me on .

I also feel pretty awful after all the excess of Christmas and the fact that my jeans are a bit tight so thats extra motivation!

i should get my ipod out actually. i stopped using it as i started to find it easier without it but maybe it will help get into it.

maybe i should sign up for something too?

im starting to dread my run tonight but also feel crappy about the extra weight i need to shift

I could have easily talked myself out of going this morning. I did the school drop in my running stuff and a couple of mums asked if I was going for a run so of course I HAD TO GO then!

I only did a couple of miles and went on a route that I've not been on for a while. I'm so glad that I went now and am already thinking about Fridays run.

Let me know how you get on later - maybe we could motivate each other?

I think you need a goal, book a race, that will get you out!

I lost my way a bit last summer, had a couple of weeks when I hardly ran, found my fitness sliding and my distances went from long runs of 13 miles to 5-6 miles which felt really tough.

Then I got confirmation I had got a place in the London Marathon. Haven't missed a run since! Really, it was the wake up I needed, I have since built up my distance again and remembered why I love running.

I run with music or podcasts, Marathon Talk is a really good, motivating podcast. Not just for marathon runners, it's interesting for anyone that runs.

I find bribing myself - with a treat at some point after the run - is the only way to make msyelf do it. And keeping lying ot myself - just a 10 minute run, just another 10 minutes now, just to that distance, maybe push it another 5 minutes. After you've forced yourself out for the first 5 or so runs it will get easier. And then book a race to give you a goal.

juicy - did you go?

hiya yeah i went for a run last night - did 3 miles. gotta try and do another 2 x 3 miles by next wed so that i get back into 3 runs per week. then i will slowly bump them up

i really wanted a marathon place but didn't get one which put an end to any attempt to get my running back on track last year.

hopefully better luck next year!

There are plenty of other good races around that you could sign up to. I found a good website where i'm keeping my training diary on for free and it helps with my motivation, you can also see what other people are doing.

www.running4women.com