Loads of you have been asking me about it… Motivation to run. As in, how to have more of it. I think many people think I was born with some intrinsic motivational gift that ensures I go out regularly and train for my marathons and so on, but it is not the case. It is easier as I have been doing it for a while and has become part of my life, but I still use a wide variety of techniques to get driven.
Plus, it is dark out of office hours right now, and cold, and wet, and the only other people outdoors at those times are dog-walkers, stop-outs and extremely late night revellers, and it can seem like a dour and depressing prospect. Though I tend to love the solitude, the difference in the world at those times, I know some may not share such (I assure you I am no gothic, not that there is anything wrong with that, I just could never get into the Sisters of Mercy and DM boots made me look like a golf club as a teenager; I just quite like running in darkness and watching the sun come up along the sea front while running, I digress….)
When people consider running, they often go through that phase of rationalising it with themselves. You use that language at times, don’t you?
“I ought to start running.”
“I should start my marathon programme this week.”
“I must get out for a run soon.“
This sort of language shows that running is often something we don’t really want to do, but it is somehow necessary for us to get something else, it is a means to an end and not very compelling when phrased this way. We want to be slim, we want to complete a marathon, we want to raise money for a worthy cause, we want to fit into a different waist size of trousers or a smaller dress, we want to feel fitter when playing with the kids, we want to be able to see our toes when on the scales, we want to be perceived in a particular way – running is the means of doing it for many people. (Though I plan to write about enjoying the journey in more depth at a later date too, that is not strictly what this blog entry is about)
There are very few people that first start out on a running schedule of some kind that actually think to themselves and tell the world around them:
“I want to run.”
“I enjoy running.”
“I love feeling the sensation of being a runner.”
“I am excited at the prospect of those high winds and scary hills”
(Just kidding with that last one)
It often takes us a while to develop this perspective on running. Especially when we are just starting out, or have had some time off running. Whenever I say these kinds of things (above positive statements), many people look at me as if I am some sort of nutjob.
It tends to then feed my motivation to run faster, further and keep on doing it. It is now an intrinsic and automatic part of my life and my day-to-day regimen.
“What? Is that it Adam? That is your strategy for getting motivated? Just keep on doing it until you like it?!”
Nope. That kind of suggested process is likely to end up as many January gym subscriptions that get used 20 times in January, 10 times in February and then never again.
Many people have an unusual psychological association with exercise in general, let alone running. They think of it as some sort of a chore and think of doing it with some kind of begrudging mindset, like it is a punishment; often perpetuated by those that insist on “no pain, no gain” or other outdated 80s idiocy that only deserve ot be repeated at select nostalgic moments when refusing to throw away your ‘Frankie Says Relax’ t-shirt.
If you consider any kind of exercise to be something you must/should/ought to be doing because you have to lose weight somehow and you have to sacrifice some comfort and exchange pain, hassle and …. Then of course you are not going to be motivated to exercise… And certainly not going to feel driven to run in Winter conditions.
Today, I thought I’d run through a nice process, using self-hypnosis, mental imagery and a bunch of other stuff (excuse the technical jargon) to show you how to get motivated to run and end up wanting to do it, feel good doing it, and enjoy running – because if you get your head around it now, get driven and inspired now, then you are going to be in fine fettle for any schedule you are going to commit to in the New Year. Those that plan on doing any one of the many marathons next April (I am doing three that month, did I mention that already?) will ideally want/need to be running 20-25 miles a week before starting that training schedule, so it is wise to start working on your motivation right now.
Before we start with this process, write up a list or have a mental note of all the reasons that you want to run – all your motivations. Word them in a positive frame. By that I mean, to state that you want to ‘achieve your ideal size, shape and weight’ and not ‘I don’t wanna be fat.’ Make your reasons things that move and strive to achieve rather than things you want to avoid – at least for this exercise, we are going to be positive.
I appreciate that many people are motivated by fear and avoiding things that they do not want, but this particular process lends itself better to being progressive.
With that in mind, also now think of a really marvellous statement that is inspiring and motivating to you; such as those I gave earlier “I love to run more and more” and “I increasingly enjoy running” and “my body loves rigorous, healthy activity” or word things however you choose, in your own preferred way.
So with that set of great reasons for exercising in mind, and with a set of positive affirmations to deliver to yourself later on, let the fun begin:
7 Steps To Get Motivated To Run:
Step 0.5: Realize there are no fat loss pills, tricks, machines or secrets. It’s about having a healthy cardiovascular system, making running the best waist trainer for weight loss – hands down.
Step One: Induce hypnosis. You can do so by any means you desire or know of. You can use the process in my self-hypnosis book, use the free audio at my hypnosis website to practice or have a look at the following articles as and when you need them; they are basic processes to help you simply open the door of your mind:
Using eye fixation for self-hypnosis
The Betty Erickson Self-Hypnosis Method video clip
Using Magnetic Hands for Self-Hypnosis
Once you have induced hypnosis, move on to step two.
Step Two: You may choose to remember a time you enjoyed running, where you had a really good run and you felt great for it. Alternatively, you can imagine and create such an experience (i.e. if you have never run before)…
Spend a few moments imagining that you have just completed a glorious run of some kind. You decide what kind of run it was. Notice what you see all around you, notice the sounds of the environment you are in and most importantly, start to feel the sensations of having enjoyed a spectacular uplifting running session.
Imagine the endorphins that your brain is pumping through your body that reach every cell of your body. Notice the warm tingle of heightened sensation in your muscles as they relax after the exertions. Like it is a glowing, joyous sense of satisfaction. Imagine feelgood chemicals working through your system.
You might choose to imagine the good feelings as a colour working through your body and mind, or as a sound or even just get a physical sense of it working through your body and you concentrate on it.
Really spend plenty of time making sure you generate a very real and observable sensation in you r mind and body that represents the sensation of having just exercised beautifully well. As you do it, tell yourself that you are going deeper inside your mind and use this step to deepen your own hypnosis at the same time.
When you are certain you have that, move on to the next step.
Step Three: Now we benefit from one of the main benefits and characteristics of hypnosis. Magnify and increase that magnificent feeling. Maybe you imagine a dial in your mind, maybe you imagine the colours spreading or becoming brighter, maybe you sense the feelings expanding, maybe you just tell yourself they are amplifying, maybe you move the feelings (or your imagined feelings) faster and faster through your body and build them up to a feverishly delightful and delicious joyous feeling.
Take all the time you need and really practice expanding and developing this glorious feeling of post-run bliss and ecstasy.
When you are sure that you have grown it and amplified it to a memorable level, move on to the next step.
Step Four: Holding those great feelings, recall all the reasons you have for running. All those great reasons and motications you have. Remind yourself of all those wonderful reasons you have for being a runner and start to imagine how good it is going to be when you achieve those desired outcomes – maybe it is crossing the line at a race in a certain time, or just completing an event of some kind. Maybe it is reducing your size to fit into new clothes, maybe it is wanting to feel good, or prove to people that you can do this, whatever the reasons, imagine you have achieved them and notice how good the feelings of achievement are. Bask in them and combine these feelings with those that you already have.
Build and develop and amplify, then move on to the next step.
Step Five: Continue to build and amplify the good feeling and now state those affirmations to yourself, those positive statements. Start to say to yourself any one of the affirmations or positive statements that you decided upon prior to starting this session, for example:
I love to run more and more. Or…
I get increasingly more enjoyment from running.
Repeat the chosen statement over and over in your mind and imagine that these words are getting combined with that good feeling, so that if you say these words to yourself outside of hypnosis, they install the feelings.
Imagine the words rolling around your mind and body and let these words become associated with that great, motivating feeling. When you are sure that these words have been repeated enough times in your mind to really have an effect in real-life, then move on to the next step.
Step Six: To bring this together, now imagine being in a typical situation in your life when you are about to choose whether to run or not. See the sights, hear the sounds, be in that place, that environment of your life.
Now mentally rehearse that in that situation, you state those words to yourself, you feel those feelings begin to grow and develop within you, you are inspired into action and you decisively choose to get out and go for a run.
Step Seven: Tell yourself that every time you practice this process, it becomes easier to do in real-life. Tell yourself that each time you have to decide whether to go running or not, you start to automatically feel really good at the prospect of it, knowing the great feelings you get and knowing the wonderful outcomes that await you. Think about a run you can go and do within the next 48 hours and decide to do that.
Exit hypnosis by wiggling your fingers and toes and open your eyes.
Go and take some action, go and partake in that run that you planned and notice how much more enjoyment you get from it, notice how much more you can motivate yourself to be a runner and how easier it becomes to instigate runs more and more regularly.
Go on, get out there… Dark and cold or not…
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