Make Running Fun

We all get fried from either running the same route around the neighborhood or putting the miles in on the treadmill. What we need and hunger for is variety. And, frankly, we need it. Not just to keep our sanity, but because it's good for our running! Don't let yourself get stuck in a rut. Mix it up! Take a read of this article. Great information!

Make Running Fun

That's the answer I give to new runners when they ask me how to get better at running. When they ask how they'll ever be able to run a marathon or an ultra when it kills them to run six miles now, the answer is that simple.

It's like the 10,000 hour rule. The more you run, the better your body and brain learn to do it. It doesn't have to be every day, and it doesn't have to involve awful workouts that leave you sprawled out on the track by the time they're done.

But it does have to be consistent. Every time you get burnt out and take three or six months off from running, you miss hours upon hours of opportunity to build those neural pathways that help you run efficiently, even effortlessly.

The trick then, is to keep your training interesting. Here are 63 ways to do just that.

1. Bored with the roads? Try trail running. For help getting started, check out the Beginner's Guide to Trail Running I wrote for Zen Habits, or the slightly lighter-in-tone Indoorsman's Guide to Trail Running on this site.
2. Try an "alternative" running form. The Pose method and Chi Running both offer what they claim to be more efficient ways of running than the traditional form.
3. Kill your legs in the gym. Front squats, cleans, and deadlifts were the lifts we all hated when we were trying to beef up in college, but they're the ones that will do the most to help you get more power from your legs. There's an obscure routine called Curtis P's that I really like because it blends several of these lifts and can help boost endurance.
4. Go to a local high school track once a week. If you've never done any speedwork before, you'll likely see big returns on your track workouts almost right from the start.
5. You'd have to live in a cave to have missed the swelling barefoot running movement. But it's not just barefoot—there are all kinds of minimalist shoes to simulate barefoot running. From Vibram Fivefingers to Newtons, it seems every shoe manufacturer is paying more attention to the minimalist running movement. Runblogger has a good guide to minimalist running shoes. (But before you buy in, check out this interesting anti-barefoot site.)
6. Are you carrying around some extra weight? As long as you're not dipping below what's healthy, you can expect to shave two seconds off every mile for each pound lost. If you were to lose those extra 10 pounds, imagine what mile splits that are 20 seconds faster would do for your motivation to run.
7. Our bodies naturally produce some creatine, a compound which helps supply energy to muscle. We can get a lot more of it from meat, but since we're not about that, supplementing is one option. Supplementing with creatine has been shown to increase strength in athletes, and most people now believe it's perfectly safe (you should do your own research, of course).
8. Heart rate training is a fun way to incorporate biofeedback into your runs. Rather than simply guessing at your threshold training intensity or the proper pace for a long run, for example, you can determine the heart rate zones that correspond to these intensities and shoot to stay in those zones for prescribed amounts of time.
9. You don't see much written about breathing exercises for runners, but I've found them to be a great way to pass the time when the miles aren't ticking off quite as fast as you'd like them to. My favorite is one borrowed from Chi Running—breathe out for three steps, in for two steps. Out for three steps, in for two steps… Another one is described in a post about a 30-mile training runI did.
10. Throwing money at the problem isn't a good habit to be in, but forking over some cash for a good pre- and post-workout drink may help you get out of a rut. Performance benefits aside, I find myself obligated to work out harder because I want to get the most out of what I spent my hard-earned money on. Check out Vega Sport, my favorite pre-workout drink.