Fun

. . . to make it more fun?

Last week I wrote about running not always being fun (read that post here). Lately running has actually been fairly strong for me, but the bugs! They’re not even biting bugs and they’re still sucking the life out of my runs. Or making me faster because I want to be done, LOL!

There’s a reason turtles live so long!

What can you do when it’s not fun?
All is not lost on your not-so-fun (let’s face it, miserable) runs. Here are a few tricks you can try to at least make it bearable:

Distract yourself with nature. Notice the wildlife, the sunshine, the water, the trees, the beautiful sky, the flowers. You probably will see at least one of those things!

Take more walk breaks. I’m specifically talking about Summer here. Summer can suck the life out of you quickly, and even if it doesn’t, most likely you’ll be running slower. I’ve often (but not always) found that more walk breaks don’t even effect my pace all that much. That’s the whole purpose of intervals, by the way — take the break before you’re tired.

Run by effort. When it’s hot and humid, running the same pace you normally do can cause you to crash and burn quickly. Forget the pace, and just tune into how you feel. Adjust accordingly. It won’t always be this hot|humid|sunny.

Listen to music. I don’t personally run with music, but it can definitely be a great distraction. Or a podcast, or an audiobook.

Shorten your run. Sometimes it’s really the smartest thing you can do. Live to run another day.

Devote your run to someone in need. This works year-round. Sometimes concentrating on others takes our mind off of ourselves.

Count your footsteps. Another thing that can be done year-round. Thankfully I haven’t had to do this in a long, long time, but it can work to get you through a run when you really don’t want to.

Concentrate on your breath. It turns your run into a moving meditation. Is it smooth? Choppy? Shallow? Deep? Where do you feel your breath in your body? Really concentrate on your breath, and it will help to take your mind off of your physical body — and really ground and center you.

The only thing sure about Summer running is that some runs are going to be pretty miserable. You can let yourself wallow in that misery, or you can change your thoughts and try to find the joy in every run. — Chocolaterunsjudy

What do you do when your run is not fun?

Do you stick to your plan or adjust as necessary?

What is getting your through your summer?

bfun

Wendy @ Takingthelongwayhome recently made the comment of why do it if it’s not fun (or words to that effect) when she decided to drop down from a 50k to a half.

This is not a rebuttal to Wendy’s post — we all have our reasons for training or not training, for skipping runs or not, for dropping distances. Hers were very valid! You can read it here. It did, however, spark the idea for this post.

Fairytales and Fitness

**Some days I’m really glad I’m not training for anything**

Some days it’s just not fun
I’ve been getting out there earlier and earlier this Summer. Mostly it’s been hot & humid & it’s just what I had to do to make my runs more ~~fun~~comfortable.

I made the decision early on during this Pandemic to do my utmost to run outside — unless there was truly dangerous weather or real stay-at-home orders were enacted. So far, so good.

It isn’t always fun, though. I do my best to get out on the most runner-friendly days of the weeks, but most of us have been experiencing an unseasonably hot Summer, and even upstate NY is not immune.

There have been days it’s so buggy I must look like an insane person while swatting constantly. There are days that have been so hot|sunny|humid — or worse yet, all three! — that I feel as though an elderly grandmother using a walker could pass me.

img_8223-2 — **I keep running because some days I end with a smile on face**

So WHY am I out there anyway?
I say it frequently on this blog: your why is the most important thing in anything you choose to do. It’s what will keep you motivated. It’s what keeps the tough going when the going gets tough.

I am out there because I don’t want to break up with running. Oh sure, some days for sure I do want to break up with running. Ultimately, though, I want to keep running the rest of my life — even if I am never able to race again.

Running has taught me so much, has made me so much stronger, has shown me that I am stronger than I think I am. I hope to keep adding states to my tour of the States eventually. It’s all part and parcel of why I keep running, even when it’s not fun.

More about MY why:

Why I’m grateful to running
5 Reasons Running is more than Racing
5 Reasons I’m grateful to running (yes, this is different from the first post on this list!)
Dear Running: I’m Thankful . . .

Just Keep Running
Some days it won’t be fun. Some runs you’ll think running is really stupid and ask yourself why you’re torturing yourself this way. The answer is simple: because some days running is just what the doctor ordered. Some days you’ll feel like you can conquer the world because you ran.