Please help me rediscover my running mojo

[Kevintheminion]

Last year before I fell pregnant with DC2 I kost two stone and did C25K. I enjoyed running and ran until I was 3 months pregnant (December and I was scared of slipping on ice). Cut to June this year, DC2 safely delivered, 6 week check done, same fecking 2 stone to lose all over again and my running mojo has deserted me! How do I rediscover it? I go back to work after ML in January which may or may not be helpful. ..

Have you read "run fat bitch run"? It's a tad...blunt... But lots of good advice and virtual kicks up the backside.

It's hard to get going again especially when it's dark and cold. My suggestions: Buy some new running gear, get new songs to listen to (if you do), put running gear on as soon as you get up/home depending when you run, enter a race a few months away. Best thing ever though is to find a running buddy. Good luck (from a fellow runner)!

Thanks both, great suggestions (ordered book just now from Amazon)

this keeps happening to me lately, you just have to go out and run, it is the only way to get your running powers back!

say 'I am going for a fucking run', put your stuff on and go

Yep, my advice as well is to just do it! It will be tough at first but keep sight of where you want to get to and keep at it.

I had 3 months of pretty much no running over the summer after I just completely lost my motivation. It did take a lot to get me back out the door but when I did I really remembered why I run and I loved being out again.

I hated not being able to run as far and feeling really unfit but it didn't last long and now I'm back to decent distances. It's not like starting from no base either, if you've run before it doesn't take the same amount of time to rebuild fitness ime.

Same here. I did c25k and was running three times a week. Then moved house 4 weeks and haven't run since. My mood is dropping and I'm starting to feel low. Running was my anti depressant. Going to upload some new songs this week and try and just do it.

I'm worried I won't be able to do more than 2 minutes.

I hadn t ran for 9 months - totally lost my mojo. Started back 3 weeks ago and I was surprised at how painless the first run was. Okay - not totally painless but less painful than I d anticipated. And it made me remember why I ran cos the endorphins kicked in

Creating/recreating a habit takes a bit of time/practice/reinforcement. Underthink it - don't let your mind wander and deter you from getting out. Just decide on a suitable time and assemble your kit in readiness, so when the time comes, all you have to do is put it on and step outside.

If necessary, tell yourself you only have to do x before you come back. Once you've started, you'll be fine. Anything you achieve on your first run will be a bonus and an improvement.

If it helps, log your runs, so you can look at them with pride, see a pattern developing, and look forward to adding to your log.

Once you've been out a few times, things should become easier/more enjoyable and you can start reaping the benefits!

Put your kit on, step outside the door and tell yourself that if you're really not enjoying it in 10 minutes you can come home. I bet you'll stay out!

I read somewhere that motivation is transitory. Don't ask yourself if you are motivated to run, ask yourself if you are committed to get fit again. You can have high commitment and low motivation and still get yourself out the door. Works for me anyhow! Other thing is to put yourself in for a race so you have something to train for. I just did one of those muddy trail runs, going through waist deep puddles in fancy dress... It completely reinspired me to get out there and remember that running should be fun.

Good luck! It's not easy to get back out there after a break, but you're already half way there by thinking about how to get yourself out there!

Find a running buddy or preferably three. Arrange to run the same kind of distance, at the same time each week. If one person is ill / can't make it, the others will still have a mate. You can run the same route every week or one person can be route planner (google maps is your friend), or you can alternate it. Some days one person will naturally set the pace, some says it may be some one else. Soon you will find yourself leaping over he'll and high water to make that time slot every week. Neighbours are the best so you don't have to go far to start your run but it makes no difference if you have to drive five minutes first to meet up.

running buddies are life savers, have just been out for a run with one I met through a FB group set up by a local MNer - you could do something similar OP?

Just wanted to report back that this thread helped me find my mojo. I've not run for a month but today I did a 30 min run and I bloody loved it. It was easier than I thought. And it's an instant anti depressant for me. Thank you to all who posted, it really pushed me to just do it before I fell down the black hole of depression.

Op just go out and do it.

I can really recommend 'Running like a Girl' by Alexandra Heminsley - I started properly running after reading it and just dipping into the odd chapter or two always gets me in the mood to put on my trainers and get out of the house.

When I'm feeling lazy I also tell myself that I'm just going for a quick jog - quite often when I'm out of the house and actually running I find that I'll then keep going for a lot longer than planned. It's putting your trainers on in the first place that's the main hurdle, once you're out you'll be fine.

Second the getting some new snazzy trainers. Also, as others have said, it's useful to plan days / times for runs rather a vague 'I'll go out twice this week'.

The other thing I find helpful is to go somewhere nice, even if you have to drive to get there. Once you've been out a few times you'll be bitten by the bug again I'm sure!

Parkrun parkrun parkrun is the answer!!! Come join us on the parkrun thread - 5k every Saturday, free, friendly and all over the country.

www.parkrun.org.uk