How to run with your intuition

Hello!

The intuitive running is going REALLY well and I couldn’t be happier about proving myself right so far!!!!

I even had a week where I didn’t want to run, so I listened to my gut and I didn’t. I swore I’d go during the week, even just for a little interval session but I honestly couldn’t find the time (read: I could be bothered to make the time) so when the following Sunday ‘long-ish’ run came around again I reluctantly went, thinking I would have set myself back. Guess what? I hadn’t! In fact I felt better and went further.

 

Going with your gut WORKS!!

 

So here’s my top tips on getting started…

 

1- Ditch the tracker.

Yes, I use a tracker now and then as I want to record how far I’ve ran, BUT if you religiously use yours at the moment. STOP. Take a second and think about how it benefits you doing this every day and weigh up your relationship with it.

Then, try a run without it. Nothing bad will happen I promise. The worst case is that your strava followers won’t know you’ve ran, but it still happens even when no one claps us!

Instead, whilst your running, look up! Look at the weather or the trees, smile at passers-by, who cares if they don’t smile back, and consider how it FEELS to be running. Where do you feel good? Where does it hurt? When do you need to stop? How does it feel to keep going just a little bit further?

 

You can always come back to your tracker, it has some excellent uses, but it’s important to not rely on it. In fact,. I’m considering ditching mine all together for the actual event.

 

2- Avoid the comparison trap!

Like with all aspects of life, we compare ourselves to others. But in the running world, those people have put in the hard graft (mostly, my husband in an exception and just manages to effortlessly run long distances which absolutely does not annoy me at all!) so you’re essentially comparing your beginning to their middle!

Maybe check your social media feed, do you feel a bit inadequate when you see other people’s progress or runs, can you mute them or unfollow? Can you avoid those conversations with your friends and steer it away from running, you’ll know who you need to do this around. Because I;’d imagine most friends will just be super supportive.

And, can you stop comparing yourself to yourself? This is the hardest one! You know, the runs you did ‘before’ this could be years ago, pre babies or just when your lifestyle was completely different. You are not the same, and so, don’t expect to do the same. Just take now for what it is, and enjoy the ride!

 

3- Know that it won’t always feel great.

As much as I’m happy to sack off a run one week because I don’t fancy it, ultimately I know that if I really want to reach that magical half marathon distance, I’m going to have to dig deep at some point! I’m going to need to push myself to where it hurts a little, or it’s a bit uncomfortable to get there. But knowing that is OK. Knowing it’s not going to be that way for every run, is important. And finding all the other ways of making it an enjoyable process, also important!

 

4- Set the scene!

This is all about who you run with, or where you go. Make sure if you like a sociable run, then you find the right people to keep you going. Maybe you love running by yourself (that’s me!) but when things get a little boring, and your motivation starts to wane, knowing you have some go-to runners who will lift you and maybe challenge you a bit further is going to be essential.

As is location. Being able to find a place that keeps you going can be a game changer. You might prefer running on a treadmill and listening to a podcast or some angry tunes, or maybe you prefer being outdoors? I like to explore where I live, still relatively new, and see which combinations of lanes I can create to increase my distances (this can also be frustrating as often it’s not much further!!)

 

Go for it, try some intuitive runs. I dare you to leave your tracker behind!

Let me know how it goes,

 

Jules

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