12 Year Anniversary of Colorado Runner Magazine
How to fall in love with running all over again!
This issue celebrates 12 years of Colorado Runner Magazine. I feel so lucky that the magazine has continued for 12 years, and that running in Colorado is as strong as ever. But like any long-term relationship, there can be ups and downs. Some of the daily tasks that seemed so new, so exciting in the beginning, can become stale and tedious over time.
Running can be like that too. In the early days, every workout was a personal best. Every race was a new and amazing experience. Your first marathon was so thrilling. Your first group run with a club became a fun way to socialize and meet new friends.
But over time, running can sometimes start to feel like an obligation. Maybe you sometimes long for the old days. Sleeping in instead of the 5 a.m. tempo run. Eating a pizza instead of a smoothie in the Vitamix. If this sounds like you, here are a few ways to keep the love alive.
- Sign up for a new race. Maybe it’s a different distance or in a fun destination. Something to get you excited for training and give you a new goal to shoot for. Maybe the newness of a color run or mud run will rev you up to train. When I started to find myself in a rut last summer, I signed up for my first triathlon. That way, I could run less and spend more time cross training.
- Buy something new. Maybe you need a new running outfit to replace your stretched out tank top or tattered Capri pants. Maybe you need a new pair of shoes, but you’ve been putting it off because they’re so pricey and the soles in your current pair don’t have too many holes. Yet. If money is tight, splurge for socks. Or a training book. Something that will re-energize your love affair with running.
- Make it a date. Schedule time for running and try to not let other obligations interfere. We know you’re busy. Everyone’s busy. But try to make it a priority. Make yourself – your health and well being – a priority. You need that ‘me’ time.
- Switch it up. Maybe you eat the same breakfast every day and drive the same route to work and watch the same TV shows on the weekends when you’re bored. Running can be like that too. You run the same routes. At the same pace. You look at the same houses on the same streets, over and over. Well, stop! Drive somewhere new. Run someplace different. Try a new park or a different bike path. Or try a different time of day. If you always try to squeeze in your run after you get home from a long day at work or school, try to mix it up and run first thing in the morning. Sometimes a simple change can feel refreshing.
- Go naked. OK, well don’t get arrested. I meant ditch the gadgets and gizmos. No heart rate monitor. No GPS. No watch. No headphones and iPod. Don’t worry about how long or how fast you’re running. Just run for the simple joy of being able to.
- Take a break. If everything else fails, maybe you need to take a break. Try a spin class or yoga or go for a bike ride. In some relationships, you fall in love and then become obsessed, and then maybe you need to take a step back and miss it a little bit. Then you can go back to it and fall in love all over again.
And when all else fails, remember why you fell in love with running in the first place. To be healthier. To diminish your stress. To have more energy. To feel strong and fit. Running can be hard but the benefits can be worth it.-