Maintaining motivation wellbeing

Ready to run

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Maintaining motivation Are you falling out of love with running? These motivational tips will have you back in the honeymoon phase in no time, writes Tatyana Leonov WellBeing Running | 37

Ready to run

Ready to run

You are what you eat

Y

ou started off 2013 with a bang.

A healthy diet, an exercise plan, you were even getting up four times a week to go for a run.

Then it became three times, then two… you get the picture.

You’re not the only one. Research conducted by the University of Sydney revealed 88 per cent of New Year goals will not be followed through. But if you want to

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be part of the other 12 per cent (and it’s not too late to start again), keep reading.

Running is great for you. Research consistently shows running promotes wellbeing and even increases your lifespan.

The physical benefits are tremendous: running helps you sleep better, can make you sharper at work, strengthens bones, tones muscles, and has been proven to be beneficial to mental health.

If you’re just starting out, even a slow run has plenty of health benefits. A study from the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found non-regular runners who ran three times a week saw a boost to their aerobic power and endurance. And let’s face it, we all know a short, slow run is much better for you than sitting on the coach.

Motivation dips are natural and occur for a variety of reasons. “You will

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Teri Lichtenstein, a sports dietitian and member of Sport Dietitians Australia, shares her top nutrition tips for runners: • Make sure you top up your muscle stores with a carbohydrate-rich snack before you run.

• For runs longer than 60 minutes, take in extra fuel to maintain your energy outputs.

Good and practical sources of fuel for longer runs are carbohydrate gels, muesli bars or sports drinks.

• Don’t try any new foods on race day — practise during your training.

• Make sure you eat something within the first 30 minutes after you finish a run. This is the ideal time for muscle recovery. Eat a carbohydrate and protein-rich snack to refuel and repair your working muscles.

• Don’t drink too much sports drink if you are not running for more than 60 minutes and/or trying to lose weight. Water should provide sufficient hydration.

never feel 100 per cent all of the time,” explains Nataliya Herington (www. nataliyaherington.com), a personal trainer who runs a regular weekly running group on Sydney’s lower north shore.

Weather conditions can have a big impact on motivation. You’ve probably noticed in the warmer months the streets are filled with joggers clad in colourful gear. If you’ve ever gone out for a

run at 5am in the middle of winter (congratulations) you’ve probably realised you’re one of very few.

Motivation dips can also occur when your immune system is down, or if you’re feeling fatigued and/or sore. It’s important to look after yourself and know when you need to rest. The key to motivation is to enjoy what you do, and understand that ups and downs are a natural part of life.

There will be some days when you won’t feel like running, and other days when you’ll feel you could run a marathon; it’s about finding the equilibrium.

“On the good days I absolutely love running, getting out in the fresh air and feeling the endorphins, meeting up with my squad for a training session,” says Olympic men’s 10,000m competitor and five-time Australian champion Ben St Lawrence. “I love to race, to set personal bests, to travel and compete against the best in the world. On these good days, the motivation takes care of itself. But on bad days, I just get it done and look forward to the next good day.”

Setting goals Maintaining a regular running schedule isn’t always easy, so it’s important to look at ways to help you stick to your goals. St Lawrence suggests keeping a training log, consulting a running coach, joining a running group, running in nice

• Don’t use a run as an excuse to overeat at your next meal just because you burned extra kilojoules.

• Remember, it takes a lot of running to burn kilojoules, but not many mouthfuls to put them back on.

• Carbohydrates are your best friend.

Avoid low-carbohydrate foods/diets as carbohydrates are the best source for your working muscles. By eating enough carbohydrates you will be able to run further, faster and for longer, and will ultimately burn more kilojoules and improve your performance.

• Avoid taking unnecessary vitamin or mineral supplements. If you eat a healthy diet that meets your energy needs, you should be getting sufficient micronutrients.

• Always speak to your doctor or sports dietitian if you suspect you may be deficient in one or more micronutrients before taking a supplement.

surroundings, and rewarding yourself after an achievement.

“I reward myself with a piping-hot coffee in cool conditions and a dip in the ocean when it’s hot,” he says.

St Lawrence’s approach to running is rational. If you set out with goals, you’re much more likely to succeed and it could be as simple as outlining your goals at the start of each year.

For Megan Corrigan, a project coordinator and keen runner, this is the key to her success. “At the start of every year I review several running calendars and then decide which events I will enter,” she explains. “If a friend is entering the same race, then we’ll train together, motivate each other and sometimes, as a reward, do something special at the end of a race.”

Setting goals provides a road map for your running vision and you should include both short- and long-term goals. Having friends to run with, or making friends through a running group, is one of the best ways to stay on track and a great way to share and achieve goals together.

All goals should be SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time-Specific) as this will allow you to closely monitor your weaknesses and strengths. A short-term goal could be to increase your runs by 10 minutes; a long-term goal could be to enter a half marathon. They key is to set realistic targets so you can track your success.

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Ready to run

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Running routines To avoid a running burnout, why not mix it up? By changing what you do, you’ll be more likely to want to continue. Exercise scientists at the University of Florida found that individuals who modified their workout every two weeks over an eight-week period enjoyed their workout and were more inclined to stick with it, compared to those who preformed the same exercise program week in, week out.

By adding an element of variety to your running regime, you maintain a level of excitement. It doesn’t have to be a huge change; you could just alter your running route — different scenery makes a world of difference — and for Nataliya Herington, this is the reason why she loves running.

“Every run of the week is in a different location and I get to go places I wouldn’t normally go: national parks, different beaches.

For me it’s crucial not to get repetitive with

running otherwise it loses the fun side and can become boring,” she explains.

Researches at Glasgow University found running outside can have a positive effect on mental health. So anything from a slow jog through parkland to a run on the beach lowers brain stress levels. If you usually run on the treadmill at the gym, running outside is a great step to take. If you always run on concrete, try sand or grass running, or if you run mostly on flat ground, incorporate hills into your running regime.

Reward yourself Achieved a goal? Try these fun (and good-foryou) rewards.

1. Why not incorporate running-related rewards after the completion of a successful fun run? A new pair of joggers or an iPod. Running gear can boost your motivation to… you guessed it, run even more.

2. A pedicure or a relaxing massage can do wonders after a run, plus it’s great for you.

3. Running with a friend? Do something fun together afterwards. See a movie, go to the aquarium, just have a day off enjoying something you both love doing together.

4. Grab a book, close the door and take a long, hot bath. Bliss!

5. If you run for charity, raising the amount you aimed for is a reward in itself.

Looking after yourself It’s crucial to look after yourself, both physically and mentally. Running is a great form of exercise if done correctly and complemented by a healthy lifestyle. But runners are also prone to injury if they are using the wrong technique or overtraining.

Don’t overstrain muscles by going too hard and remember to take rest days. Not only will your body thank you for it, you’ll also be more likely to get up early the next morning to run again.

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laughs. “Gradually, and thanks to fantastic trainers and their encouragement, I have improved and started to actually enjoy running.”

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Goals can also be indirectly related to running. For example, a food and running journal is a great way to fine-tune your nutrition strategies. Teri Lichtenstein, a sports dietitian and a passionate long-distance runner who has completed more than 20 half marathons (and two full marathons), says by analysing your daily food intake compared to your running output, you can see where there may be gaps in your nutrition.

“For example, you might have been dehydrated on a hot day when you did not drink enough fluids, or you may notice that on days where you had enough carbohydrates, you had more energy to run further and faster,” she says.

By accessing your weakness areas and then setting goals to strengthen them, you will in turn improve your running. Working towards goals promotes satisfaction and self-fulfilment.

For Laura Garbo, who works as a general manager, the goal was to simply join a group. “I read about an outdoor training centre that was offering a running group called Walk to Trot — not too scary for someone who had abandoned every form of exercise 15 years earlier,” she

Ready to run

Stretching, warming up and warming down are all important. Before a run, aim for approximately five minutes of dynamic warm up as this helps prevent injury. After a run,

ensure you spend some time stretching all your muscles, especially focusing on the legs.

Eating well goes hand in hand with exercise.

Teri Lichtenstein recommends runners train their body to always eat something small before hitting the road. “Many runners say they have no appetite in the morning before a run, but even something small in liquid form is better than nothing,” she says. “A sports drink or a smoothie is often easier to tolerate in the morning and has the added benefit of providing hydration, as well as acting as the source of fuel. Hydration is always important, but even more so in the hotter months, when individuals should strive to drink water at regular intervals throughout the day, and especially before and after a workout.

Putting the fun into run Exercise should be fun. If running is enjoyable, you’re more likely to keep doing it.

“It’s important not to take it too seriously,” Herington explains. “Mix up your running, find friends you can have a laugh with while running, schedule a coffee break after the session. And if you’re training for a fun run,

don’t put your life on hold. They are called fun runs for a reason.”

Her attitude to running has influenced the way her running group perceives running.

Corrigan regularly runs in the Mother’s Day Classic fun run (www.mothersdayclassic.com. au). “It has become a family tradition now,” she says. “Last year I was looking around for something a little different and ended up participating in the Mud Run (www.mudrun. com.au) with a group of friends. It was well organised, great fun, and a little different from the usual fun runs. We all enjoyed the challenges of the obstacle course, as well as just having a good muck around in the mud.”

If you start seeing running as a fun activity, it won’t be something you feel you need to do — it will become a way of life. “Running gives me a sense of achievement every time I run,” St Lawrence says. “It sets me up in a productive frame of mind and can sometimes leave me with a huge high and smile that will last for hours.”

And really, if you’re happy and fit, you’re on a pretty good road, whatever pace you’re running.

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