How NOT to Take Running Too Seriously
Easy ways to find the fun again.
I love to run — truly I do. I get joy and a great deal of personal satisfaction from running. It wasn’t always this way. Back in high school, the softball coach would bark orders at us to “run the field” as a warmup to practices and games. I whined and moaned the entire time. I hated running. “Not unless someone’s chasing me,” I said, along with other complaints. Now, countless miles and races later, I’m a running lover.
As an adult, I started running to lose weight and get more active, but somewhere along the way, I fell in love. That love has stuck with me through these past eleven years.
But there are times when I find myself taking running too seriously. It’s easy to get lost in analyzing the data of your per-mile pace, striving for a faster 5K time or conquering longer distances. But it’s also important to keep the joy in running.
How can we do that? Here are a few ideas on how NOT to take running too seriously:
Designate gadget-free runs
Take time during training to ditch the watch and headphones. Run for the sheer joy of how your body feels. Feel how your muscles are moving, look around at the scenery and just run.
Remember what you’re running for
Unless you’re an elite-level runner, you’re likely running for personal satisfaction and growth, fitness or any number of reasons that aren’t your job. Your life doesn’t depend on it. It may feel your reasons are serious at times, but it’s important to remember that running is a choice. We should enjoy that choice.
Stop and smell the roses
I run with my phone or camera. When I’m running by something really beautiful, I’ll often stop for a photo or just to enjoy the view. Sometimes, for a fascinating moment, that just captures the everyday life in nature and the world. Taking time to stop and enjoy something — whether it’s the view, a moment of quiet or an interesting creature — can bring joy to your running.
Smile big
Run with a smile and it will relax your posture and your body. Not feeling smiley? Fake it till you make it. It’s impossible to be super serious and stressed out while smiling. And you never know who you might encourage along the road.
Run with a child
No, you don’t have to challenge a child to a race. Running through a grassy area alongside a child can bring back the pure joy of the feeling of running. The breeze in your hair, the feeling of pushing your body faster. Pure joy.
Don’t compare
A little healthy competition and motivation is one thing, but constantly comparing yourself to others can suck the joy right out of running. Remember that your journey is yours and every person is different. Be proud of your accomplishments and the fact that you laced up the shoes and took that first step.
Do you take running too seriously? Or do you run for the enjoyment?
Follow Cynthia as she tries not to take running too seriously at You Signed Up For WHAT?!
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