Form a Running Habit with Seven Easy Steps

But how can we form a habit that lasts? That's what this article aims to find out:
1. Make a finite time plan
"My feeling is that any day I am too busy to run is a day that I am too busy." - John Bryant
Often when we make a commitment, we say something vague like "I'm going to take up running..." However, it is often mentally easier to envision making a commitment for a finite time period, such as the next three weeks or thirty days. This has the advantage of turning the commitment into a goal-oriented one, which we can then gear ourselves towards achieving. In a way, we are playing a little trick on our mind when we say this - after three weeks of keeping up a daily running habit, it will in fact become easier to do it than not do it
2. Place the emphasis on enjoying yourself
Far too many good intentions (and not just in running) are ruined by going out there with some unrealistic idea that you have to be as good as everyone else and completely overdoing it. You have to start with an honest appraisal of where you are fitness-wise and then move based on that. If that means you have to start with alternating walking and running then building up your running, then so be it. At the very beginning, you could even alternate your running with a morning walk - the important thing is you get out there! If you are planning to train for a race, remember to have at least two easy days for every hard one, where you take your time and just enjoy being out there.
3. Pick a regular time
“A child reminds us that playtime is an essential part of our daily routine.” - Anonymous
When it's lunchtime, we instinctively head towards the kitchen - similarly, if you build up a habit of running at the same time every day, then there will come a stage where you will feel some kind of inner feeling to pull on your runners at that time. Early morning before breakfast is by far the best time to make this happen, there are no outer work or family distractions, and the outside world has yet to swing into action. Running in the morning also gives a powerful feeling of accomplishment as you sit down to a well-earned breakfast, and you gain a momentum to go on and accomplish other things with your day.
4. Keep a running log
The life of every man is a diary in which he means to write one story, and writes another. - J.M. Barrie
A running log can help on quite a few fronts. First, you get to sit down at some stage and think about where and for how long you would like to go, and perhaps come up with some nice ideas for routes. You should put it in a prominent place and mark every run completed with a big red circle: if you see a couple of days go by without circle, then you'll know its time to do something to rescue your precious running habit...
5. Enlist a friend
Life is partly what we make it, and partly what it is made by the friends we choose. - Tenessee Williams
Running with a friend is a surefire way to take the drudgery out of running - between chatting and laughing, the run is finished before you realise it! Friends can also be a form of valuable running advice, and point out to you some beautiful running routes you've never been on before...
6. Vary your runs
"No pleasure endures unseasoned by variety" - Publilius Syrus, Roman author, 1st century B.C.
Going out there and doing the same thing every time is a sure fire recipe for mental burnout - which is a shame seeing as there are so many things you can do to very your runs. Between fartlek running, interval training, races and distance running you can ensure that no two days in your running week will be the same. Try and add a spontaneity to your running - perhaps have a day where at each junction you instinctively take the one that appeals to you, or a day where you drive out of town and run in some scenic spot you've always wanted to go.
7. Enjoy the moment
"We must value at every moment not only what we become but what we are doing in the process of becoming. We cannot separate the effort from the result." - Sri Chinmoy
If you look on running as an ordeal, then you're wasting your time if you hope to keep running in a month's time. When you get out, really try to appreciate it - the chances are that between work and family, it's one of the few occasions in the day you genuinely have for yourself. Take in the surroundings, the feeling of freedom and movement and feel grateful for the chance to be here.