I’ve been slacking! I have no running technique coaching motivation! I mean I’m motivated to help coach other people but for myself, it’s just not happening.
For those of you that read this regularly, you may remember my previous statements about running.
“I am passionate about helping runners but not hugely passionate about running itself.” (from You didn’t see that coming!)
and
“I’d rather be a king-maker than a king.” (from Oops I Did it Again)
Despite all my promises to myself to get out a couple of times a month to parkrun on Saturday mornings, I’ve not managed to do it. In fact the best we’ve been able to do for the last couple of months (aside of the regular Monday evening football game) is looking out of the window through the Manchester drizzle at the boy’s football net over our tragic excuse for a lawn.
I tell a lie, we did kick a ball around a couple of parks over Christmas, but I’m still really suffering from a lack of self-motivation to get off my gluteal cushions and get moving properly.
So what am I going to do folks?
Ideas below please, I need to have some kind of external accountability and drive to force me to run when I don’t want to (which as you may have gathered is most of the time).
Of course, if you really want to give me personal motivation and accountability, you can always come and let me help you run better. It’s what Joe – my business partner – and I love doing: showing people what they can become and how much they can improve. Come and have some running technique coaching in central Manchester and see what goals you can achieve.
I don’t think it’s possible to force yourself to be motivated, and certainly not all the time! You have to let the motivation find you. Maybe you need a break from it and to do something else? Or you could try something a bit different, like trail running or OCR?
I had this same level of burnout this time last year and it took nearly 8 months to come back completely. During those months, when I didn’t fancy a run, I did something else and ended up doing more swimming, going to new fitness classes, volunteering at races, trying new parkrun routes, yoga etc. Eventually, I began to wonder during a HIIT class, “I wonder what this will have done to my running speed”, and it turned out not a lot, but that poor time lit a fire and the motivation was back. Within 3 months, I had set a 5km, parkrun, 10km and HM PB (all within three weeks). Plus, I have never enjoyed running as much as I have since coming back!
I think my body needed those months to recover properly, and that the burnout was it’s way of telling me that. Maybe that’s true for you too?
You’re very kind Louise.
I’ve been taking a break for the past 41 years! Truth be told I don’t see myself as a runner and I’ve never been a regular runner. I didn’t enjoy it at all until I learned how and now it seems there are too many things that get in the way!
Joe has stiff-armed me into getting coaching so you never know what might happen this year. I’ve tentatively agreed to do M’cr 10K this year so maybe watch this space!!