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The absolute best way to keep yourself running is to find a race, sign up for it, pay for it and put it on your calendar. I've wasted a lot of money thinking t

The absolute best way to keep yourself running is to find a race, sign up for it, pay for it and put it on your calendar. I've wasted a lot of money thinking this way. Unless you're cash-strapped and it meant a lot buying that ticket/software/tool/book/etc, you just shrug it off and move to the next target. Money doesn't buy discipline. YMMV.

laxatives 11y ago
It didn't keep you training until at least the event date? Sure its not going to change your lifestyle forever, but it will at least force you to train so that you are not totally unprepared come race day.
- jacalata 11y ago
  I've signed up for a half marathon, stopped training and then run/walked it anyway. I have also signed up, trained, gotten injured and run anyway, and I've signed up, trained, been injured and dropped out.
js2 11y ago
It find it helpful to have a goal, but it doesn't have to be a race. Other goals: run every day ("streaking"); run a certain number of miles per week, month or year. There's a FB group called "2016 in 2016" but that's too much mileage for a starting runner. I like to track my miles, and there's lots of good sites for it. I personally use Garmin Connect, then use https://tapiriik.com https://tapiriik.com to sync to Strava. I also use Smashrun, which imports directly from Garmin Connect (or you can let Tapiriik sync to it). Strava lets you set a weekly mileage goal, and Smashrun lets you set a monthly and a yearly goal. I like having those staring me in the face. Tapiriik is open source btw, but believe me, just pay the guy $2/year and let him run it for you. https://github.com/cpfair/tapiriik https://github.com/cpfair/tapiriik
Chris2048 11y ago
A deadline can push you to keep at it, but if you're truly strapped for time don't do it.
slgeorge 11y ago
I think this comes down to how different people are motivated. Others in the thread have said 'a race is a goal' so it motivates them. But, you also see lots of runners with other motivations. For example, I see a lot of people on bulletin boards talk about the social aspects: for them joining running clubs, or organising a running partner is very motivational. Maybe that would work for you.

laxatives 11y ago

It didn't keep you training until at least the event date? Sure its not going to change your lifestyle forever, but it will at least force you to train so that you are not totally unprepared come race day.

jacalata 11y ago
I've signed up for a half marathon, stopped training and then run/walked it anyway. I have also signed up, trained, gotten injured and run anyway, and I've signed up, trained, been injured and dropped out.

js2 11y ago

It find it helpful to have a goal, but it doesn't have to be a race. Other goals: run every day ("streaking"); run a certain number of miles per week, month or year. There's a FB group called "2016 in 2016" but that's too much mileage for a starting runner. I like to track my miles, and there's lots of good sites for it. I personally use Garmin Connect, then use https://tapiriik.com https://tapiriik.com to sync to Strava. I also use Smashrun, which imports directly from Garmin Connect (or you can let Tapiriik sync to it). Strava lets you set a weekly mileage goal, and Smashrun lets you set a monthly and a yearly goal. I like having those staring me in the face. Tapiriik is open source btw, but believe me, just pay the guy $2/year and let him run it for you. https://github.com/cpfair/tapiriik https://github.com/cpfair/tapiriik

Chris2048 11y ago

A deadline can push you to keep at it, but if you're truly strapped for time don't do it.

slgeorge 11y ago

I think this comes down to how different people are motivated. Others in the thread have said 'a race is a goal' so it motivates them. But, you also see lots of runners with other motivations. For example, I see a lot of people on bulletin boards talk about the social aspects: for them joining running clubs, or organising a running partner is very motivational. Maybe that would work for you.