How to run 10km & stay motivated

What if 2020 isn’t canceled? What if it’s the year you shed bad habits, adopt new ones, and fall into the person you’ve always wanted to become? I came across a quote similar to this on my Instagram and I couldn’t agree more. 2020 is certainly a year of change, but it doesn’t have to be a write-off. After three days of binge-watching the news, I decided to turn off the TV and focus on my goals. Top of the list: run 10km.

When coming up with my New Year’s resolutions, self-development was top of my list. And while I didn’t write this goal down in my 2020 blog post (I originally came up with it in 2019!), I wanted to make 2020 the year I regularly run 10km.

Running has been an outlet for me since university. Aside from being a huge stress reliever, I found running was the one time in the day when I could be completely alone with my thoughts. According to Business Insider, running is said to improve mood, sleep quality, focusing abilities, heart health, weight loss, and more. I can attest to all of this, and more. I’m here, running a successful marketing agency (Soar Media Group) and I can honestly I’m rarely stressed out. Running, for me, has become a chance to:

* Explore new areas in my neighbourhood
* Discover new settings for photoshoots
* Listen to podcasts for motivation/ professional development
* Stay active
* Have time to myself
* Be nestled between nature
* Appreciate the small victories
* Recognize that rest (in life and in exercise) is paramount to success

Starting is the hardest part, but once you start and stick with it you’ll see huge progress. Here are some tips for starting your own running journey.

How to get ready for your 10km run

Make a pre-run routine

Find a routine that gets you excited to get out for a run. Mine is putting on sunscreen, picking a running outfit, brushing my eyebrows, doing 15-minutes of yoga and uploading two podcast episodes to listen to. Maybe for you it’s a matter of jamming out to classic rock while getting ready, or meditating to clear your mind before you leave. Whatever feels right to you, go with it and stick with it.

If you are a podcast listener like me, here are some of my go-to podcasts to listen to when running:

The Writer Files: Host Kelton Reid interviews writers to discover the ins and outs to their practices of writing as well as their mastery of productivity and creativity.

Planet Money: The economy explained in a fun and easily digestible way. Keep in the know of what’s happening in the current economy without the complex terminology.

The Ultimate Health Podcast: Learn from experts in the industry of all things health. From physical health to mental health host Jessie brings on expert guests to help you “Reach your maximum potential in the realm of health.”

Second Life: Host Hillary Kerr showcases incredible women who have made large career shifts and found success while doing it.

The Sustainable Minimalist: Helping women navigate the minimalist lifestyle with an eco-friendly approach.

Set small, achievable goals & take rest days

As I said earlier, progress in running takes a long time. Set yourself small, realistic goals and stick to them. This can be the amount of times you want to run per week, or the distance/ pace you want to run each week. Set them small and then work your way up.

When preparing to run 10km I decided I would start by running a minimum of 20km per week. This way, if I had a long day, I could go for a short run and be okay with it. I would usually space out my runs like this: 7km, 3km, 5km, 6km. But depending on my week, it could change. As long as I was running to reach the 20km per week goal, I was okay with whatever distance I did.

By incorporating different distances I knew that one day a week I could focus on distance, one day I could focus on speed and endurance, and the other two days I could just enjoy my time outside.

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Schedule it in your calendar

Physically writing down (or typing out) your runs on your calendar is a huge resource for holding yourself accountable. Start off by deciding how often you want to run. Do you want to run shorter distances but multiple days a week? Or do you prefer to run longer and less days a week? Once you have a schedule that works for you mark it down!

For me, I make a note to run a minimum of 20km every week – this gives me flexibility for how often I run and ensures that I can include rest days between.

The week before scheduling my runs, I check the weather forecast. Then I mark the dates, times and distances in my calendar so I can have the satisfaction of crossing it off my to-do list.

Track your progress

Progress in running doesn’t happen overnight. You can’t wake up one day and decide you want to run a marathon by the end of the day. Running takes a while to see progress. That’s why I encourage you to track your progress. When you do this, you can look back later on and see how much you have improved in distance, time, pace, or just how often you got out to run. I recommend the Nike Run Club app for tracking your runs. The app lets you keep track of the amount of runs you have completed, distance, pace, and calories burned per run. As well as offering guided runs and workouts to improve your pace or distance.

Find and explore routes that inspire you

I love running to different wineries or exploring scenic country backroads. Who knows what I might stumble upon — a new photography location? The perfect picnic spot? The possibilities are endless. So find a route that works for you, but be sure to mix in a couple new routes every once in a while to change it up and let yourself explore.

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Run with a partner

Everything is more fun with a friend, especially running. My sister and I make it a point to run together every few weeks to change things up. We hold each other accountable that day to get out there and run and it’s always fun to explore new routes with her. Find yourself a running buddy and make weekly plans to head out for a run together.

So, now that you have all of the tips to start your running journey, challenge yourself to get out there! Whether it’s 1k or 10k, it’s just a matter of getting started. I hope this blog has inspired you to set your first running goal. Happy running 🙂