Running is an excellent way to stay healthy, both physically and mentally. It can improve cardiovascular health, strengthen muscles and bones, and reduce stress and anxiety. However, it can be challenging to stay motivated when the benefits of running take time to materialize. This is why it’s essential to celebrate small wins along your running journey and track your progress.
Track your progress
Tracking your progress is crucial because it helps you see the results of your hard work. It’s easy to get discouraged when you don’t see immediate progress, but tracking your progress can help you stay motivated. Additionally, tracking your progress can help you see where you need to make improvements and adjust your training plan accordingly.
Use a GPS Watch or Running Apps
One of the most effective ways to track your progress is to use a running app or a GPS watch. These devices can track your distance, pace, and time, and some even track your heart rate and calories burned. By using a running app or GPS watch, you can see how far you’ve run, how fast you’ve gone, and how long it took you to complete your run.
You can use a running app like Strava, Garmin Connect or Cool Runnings Fitness to track your runs and share your progress with others. The Cool Runnings Fitness app also lets your friends record a message that you can hear during your run to keep you motivated. You can request an invite now!
Running Journal
Another way to track your progress is to keep a running journal. In your journal, you can record the distance you ran, your pace, and how you felt during your run. You can also track your progress over time by comparing your times and distances from previous runs.
Celebrate Small Wins
Celebrating small wins is just as important as tracking your progress. Small wins are the milestones you reach along the way to achieving your goals. They might be running your first 5K, running for 30 minutes without stopping, or running a mile without walking. These small wins are essential because they keep you engaged and motivated.
Reward yourself
To celebrate small wins, you can give yourself a reward when you reach a milestone. The reward doesn’t have to be significant; it could be something as simple as treating yourself to a favorite snack or taking a relaxing bath. The important thing is to acknowledge your achievement and give yourself credit for your hard work.
Share your success
Another way to celebrate small wins is to share your success with others. You can share your progress on social media or with a running group. Sharing your success with others can help you stay motivated and accountable. It can also inspire others to start running or continue their running journey.
Set goals for yourself
In addition to tracking your progress and celebrating small wins, there are other ways to stay engaged with running. One way is to set goals for yourself. Goals give you something to work towards and help you stay motivated. Your goals could be to run a certain distance or time, run a specific race, or improve your pace.
When setting goals, it’s essential to make them specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART). Specific goals are clear and concise, measurable goals can be tracked, attainable goals are realistic, relevant goals align with your values and priorities, and time-bound goals have a deadline.
If you are new to running I recommend starting by trying to run a 5k. We walk you through it with everything you need to know in our article “From Couch To 5k: Building Endurance.”
Change Up your Workouts
Another way to stay engaged with running is to vary your workouts. Running the same route or distance every day can become monotonous, making it easy to lose motivation. Varying your workouts can keep things interesting and challenging. You can try running different routes, doing interval training, or incorporating strength training into your routine.
It’s also important to listen to your body and rest when necessary. Running can be demanding on your body, and it’s essential to give your muscles and joints time to recover. Rest days can help prevent injury and burnout, allowing you to stay engaged with running in the long term.
Conclusion
In conclusion, tracking your progress and celebrating small wins are essential to staying engaged with running. By using a running app or GPS watch and keeping a running journal, you can track your progress and see the results of your hard work. Celebrating small wins by giving yourself rewards and sharing your success with others can keep you motivated and engaged. Additionally, setting goals, varying your workouts, and listening to your body can help you stay engaged with running in the long term. Remember, running is a journey, and it’s important to enjoy the process and celebrate your successes along the way.
