We all have that inner chimp who sometimes tells you that you are wasting you time and fooling yourself into believing you can run, but, here are 10 ways to send the chimp packing!
2) Shades - These are essential, apart from the obvious benefits of protecting your eyes from sunlight and dust and the lovely effects of hayfever, they also hide the pain in your eyes as you pass an elderly couple whilst running uphill, therefore avoiding sympathetic glances.
3) Wave - Be friendly, wave enthusiastically and call hello to anyone you happen to pass, it's ok to collapse in a heap once they are out of sight, but that little bit of bravado will have got you the extra few yards.
4) Grow a beard - Probably not on for you of the female persuasion, however running beards are cool and actually don't make you look older, they make you look windswept and interesting.
Some of the best runners I know have beards. It is aerodynamically proven that beard hair disperses air around the chin area creating less resistance. (all of the above may not be entirely true)
5) Eat - Hey you run, you need fuel, you can eat! Happy days you can eat good stuff without feeling guilty and then the added bonus of cake, what runner doesn't like cake ?!?
6) Don't give up alcohol - You have become a runner not a monk, therefore there is absolutely no need to reject a celebratory pint or glass of wine after a training run or a race, why not? this is a sport, for enjoyment, not a sentence!
7) Read - Read all you can about running and runners there's loads of good books out there from fact to fiction and some great reads too! (Born to Run and Flannigan's Run to mention just two).
I subscribe to Runners World as it is way cheaper than buying the magazine ad hoc and I like the content. As it pops through the letterbox and onto the hall floor it reminds me that I run too.
8) Record - Record your runs, I know it sounds boring but nothing better than looking back and seeing how far you have come in an uninspired moment. Indeed in a really uninspired moment add all your miles together and see how far across the world it would get you if you ran in a straight line.
9) Chat -We all know us runners like talking about running but slip it into the conversation with non-runners too. The reaction will probably be along the lines or "You run, why?" to which you can respond "It's just what I do" If the inevitable "I hate running" follows just answer "Really? Strange"
10) Finish a race - The best feeling of all and biggest motivation is to actually finish a race, doesn't matter where or how far it's just the satisfaction of finishing and taking that medal home in the knowledge that you did that!
Happy Running - Paul
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