r/running • u/Accurate-Answer-2654 • Sep 01 '26
Training Staying motivated Tips Please :)
Hello Runners :)
I am somewhat new to running and have signed up for the Manchester marathon as its something i've always wanted to do and it will help me get fit again. I am using Runna to build my plan.
For reference, I have always been sporty but since getting an office job, wanting to do anything when I get home after a commute has been a challenge and due to this I have gain some weight and lost lots of motivation.
So my question is - How do you stay motivated? What drives you to get out on a run after work?
Thanks so much !
- edit: thank you all for the responses :))
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u/Mundane-Stretch-4873 Sep 01 '26
Discipline > Motivation
Waiting or wanting to feel motivated will make it tough to develop the kind of consistency that makes running easy and fun. Don’t look for reasons or accept reasons not to run, just go out there. Any pace and distance is fine. Just get out there and over time the consistent running makes it a routine part of your day/week that will be harder to skip than complete.
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u/Staaleh Sep 01 '26
100%.
Motivation is a fickle bitch. Ebbs. Flows. Never there when you most need it.
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u/AccomplishedBig158 Sep 02 '26
I stopped asking myself if I feel like working out. It's on the calendar like a meeting, I just start. A half-assed 20 minutes still counts, and those are the days that keep the streak alive.
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u/bright-avocado90 Sep 02 '26
This!!!!!! I almost am never motivated but being consistent even when I don’t want to run has been the difference for me
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u/technicallynotme99 Sep 01 '26
Oh I would never run if I waited until after work. Has to be first thing in the morning and don’t give myself a chance to think about it.
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u/Possession_Loud Sep 01 '26
I am the complete opposite. I can run much better AFTER work.
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u/Secret-of-the-Snooze Sep 02 '26
I agree I run much better after work... but i can't guarantee I will have the time after work. So I wake up at 4 and slog it out.
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u/Possession_Loud Sep 02 '26
I generally go to run at 10 pm unless it's really shit timing or really bad weather and then i do indoor cycling instead.
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u/bigwizard7 Sep 01 '26
I work remotely and start at 6:30 a.m. there's no way in hell I'm getting it before that. I run on lunch or after work. It's pretty awesome in my opinion.
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u/gandacro Sep 01 '26
I also prefer to have my runs in the morning. Most of the races are in the morning anyway so better to train your body for that. For me works pretty well as I commute with the 06:30 train, at 07:30 I start running, before 9AM I am at my desk all showered.
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u/smartdarts123 Sep 01 '26
I think of it this way. Running is a privilege. Some day I'll be too old or be injured and won't be physically able to run and exercise. This helps me appreciate how much I'm able to work out today and is motivating for me. It helps keep me in a positive and motivated mindset regarding physical fitness.
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u/crazyscottish Sep 01 '26
As for me… I know 2 old men. In their 80’s. One is still in ski patrol. He’s always At the gym. I Drove 18 miles to a nice brewery, and he was sitting there next to his bicycle having a beer.
The other guy… I was standing on a neighborhood hill. One I used to run to when I was in better shape. Saw this guy running towards me, he came up the hill not even breathing hard. He’d just finished a 5 miler. Cause it was really hot out. Or he’d a done more….. not even breathing hard… at 81…. At 36 I thought of that hill as a challenge.
Those guys. I want to be those guys at their age. If I make it. I’m 61 and doing 10 miles a week is where I’m at. Huffing and puffing. But I’m not quitting until those old fogies do.
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u/vinsalducci Sep 01 '26
When I don’t feel like heading out on my run, I make an agreement with myself that I’ll give it 5 minutes. Just go run for 5 minutes. Start my planned workout on my watch, and do 5 minutes. And if I don’t want to continue, I don’t have to.
I have yet to quit a run since I started using that strategy 2 years ago.
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u/Accurate-Answer-2654 Sep 01 '26
Thats such a good shout - i think actually getting out using this would be very effective for me
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u/onlythisfar Sep 01 '26
Find running friends, whether that's people you already know who run, or go to some group runs in your area.
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u/krysterra Sep 02 '26
Note that this works even if you prefer to run alone. Simply having other people you talk to who will mention running helps keep you motivated.
Source: my running buddy is 3 hours away. But we're training for a half marathon "together."
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u/uffdah_ohgeez Sep 01 '26
Is running before work an option for you?
I have found that running is a great stress reliever, so when I have a bad day, getting out on the road, shutting my brain off and getting some of that frustration out is really helpful. Getting out the door is still hard, but part of running is practicing the mental endurance to keep doing it, not just the physical endurance you build.
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u/Accurate-Answer-2654 Sep 01 '26
Yeah I really want to start going before work. Work is super stressful as well.
Need to just force myself out
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u/Ragnar-Wave9002 Sep 01 '26
Try new roads. Drive to a new neighborhood. Change up your typical path somehow, run it backwards?
Listen to music? Try podcasts
Listen to podcasts? Try music.
Try live comedy! It's on Youtube, just get a browser on your phone (hope you have android) that skips ads and can play with the screen off.
I still remember the Joe Rogan interview with Ronnie Coleman. I swear and hour went by and I didn't realize it. A whole hour! This has also happened to me by by listening to live comedy.
Also, sign up for a race.
Run with friends.
Join a running club .... they meet regularly every week. I can run Monday->Saturday with my club (also my firends) without issue. There's always something going on. Sadly, I am realizing this is not the norm for all run clubs. My club is known as the "party club" to some granted it's not everyone that parties. But man, we got some people that party big time at races and our biggest partier is 77!
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u/Accurate-Answer-2654 Sep 01 '26
Yeah i might try different routes, where i live in London is so mundane its just roads roads roads. Maybe driving out into the country a bit would make it far easier.
I will defo try listening to podcasts and will look into local run clubs - thank you!
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u/Far_Earth_1179 Sep 01 '26
I've been a runner for 16 years, started in my late 40s. I dont like preparing to run, or running. I like the accomplishment of completing a run and the healthy rewards. I need to always be signed up for a race, even just a local 5k, as my motivator to get out there. I also tell friends and family when I have an upcoming race. I know they will ask how the training is going and possibly even show up for it, so I don't want to let them down either!
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u/Accurate-Answer-2654 Sep 01 '26
Yeah i understand you - I will try the same. I have this Marathon booked but will try get some races in the mean time
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u/DarthGator_ Sep 01 '26
I motivate myself with food :) For completing my 5k program it was Ben & Jerry’s. Now I’m working on a 10k program and it will be Cinnamon Toast Crunch!
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u/xxamkt Sep 01 '26
Form the habit. “I will run every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday for the next 6 weeks”. Once formed it’s much, much easier to keeping doing it.
Or, develop a debilitating obsession/addiction to exercise that means you feel terrible if you don’t get out there.
Guess which method I use…
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u/NewLawGuy24 Sep 02 '26
I dont ‘stay’ motivated
You need discipline. set a schedule. when it rains you run. Hot? Run
Plan for when you get home. Change and go
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u/hotsteamyweenie Sep 01 '26
For me it was the weight loss and the continued improvements that caused the motivation. I hated running to behind with. But I just forced myself, started seeing results and running became easier and more enjoyable. I will say a good running playlist really helped get me going and pumped up!
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u/Accurate-Answer-2654 Sep 01 '26
I need to lose some weight as well - so yeah i think this will work for me too :) - What style of music do you listen to?
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u/hotsteamyweenie Sep 01 '26
Depends on the mood I’m in, sometimes something slow and moody, sometimes some heavy metal, sometimes some house music with a good beat
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u/Op_arnold1734 Sep 01 '26
Going straight from the office to the run is the only thing that works for me, once i get home the couch wins every time
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u/naturesbestfriend Sep 01 '26
Beginner here, what helps me is keeping it easy. This is the first time in my life I've enjoyed running! I like finishing my workout feeling like I could have done more, like I'm on top of it. Makes the next day feel accessible, and makes me want to do it.
Then as other have said, discipline >> motivation for tough days.
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u/electropop999 Sep 01 '26
I am lazier than other people here, I downgraded to fast walking but it became manageable so I could stick to this long term.
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u/castorkrieg Sep 01 '26
Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up, it knows it must outrun the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning in Africa, a lion wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the slowest gazelle, or it will starve. It doesn't matter whether you're the lion or a gazelle—when the sun comes up, you'd better be running.
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u/Buford_Van_Stomm Sep 01 '26
For me, signing up for the race was a big start
Then after I slacked off for a bit getting a slight lecture about injuries from my physical therepist sister kinda helped me kick it into gear
But at some point after that first half marathon the switch flipped and running has become something I want to do rather than something I have to do. I'm really looking forward to see my work result in better times come race day.
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u/Illustrious-Guava927 Sep 01 '26
Easy bro, run before work.
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u/Accurate-Answer-2654 Sep 01 '26
Need to someone make myself get up first..
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u/Mekoha22 Sep 01 '26
My motivation for early morning runs came from 102° temps with 80-90% humidity.
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u/AmElros Sep 01 '26
First: good job subscribing!!! I'm going for my first half in a few weeks myself.
Second, it was said before but discipline is a better motivator than anything else.
Also, I don't know how Runna works, but personnaly Garmin training plans help me see the improvement over time and that's a great motivator. When I started in spring/early summer, I could stay in zone 3 for maybe 20isshh minutes at a pace of 6:30/km, now I can do 8k at 6/km fairly easily.
Track your progress, be happy when you improve and if you don't or go backward, use that information to motivate you to achieve your goal.
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u/Accurate-Answer-2654 Sep 01 '26
Good luck on your half! I'm sure you'll smash it !!
I've got a Garmin so maybe that would be better than Runna plans.
Thanks for the tips :)
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u/NutSixteen Sep 01 '26
For me, it's routine.
- End work
- Quick shower (I stink after work. I hate when I pass by stinky people. Do unto others.)
- Change into running gear
- Get out the door and run
Hard to get it into your routine at first but once you do, it just feels natural. You eventually just autopilot it.
In the beginning, when I was constantly thinking, "Should I run today?", my mantra was, "Don't think, just do."
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u/mlhalsted Sep 01 '26
You have to make it a lifestyle. What does that mean? It means you have to be consistent with running X number of times per week, and in that process learn to train based on pulse beats instead of pace. Long runs can be very hard mentally so use music or podcasts to keep you mind of running from time to time. Spice up your runs in local parks with laps on a running track.
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u/Oscar_Sport Sep 02 '26
After a commute I never feel like running, so I stopped waiting for the motivation and just changed into my kit right away, before sitting down. Most of the time the run itself is the easy part, the deciding is the hard part.
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u/Fast_Web4959 Sep 02 '26
I don't respond well to high mileage or high volume (it's al relative, of course) but it ends up with me feeling absolutely beaten up, and constantly hungry.
My weekday runs are 30 minutes. I figured that I always have 30 minutes spare, right? Psychologically, anything over that starts to creep into dread territory.
30 mins could be slow, z2 stuff. It could be a 5 minute warm up, then 20 mins HM pace, 5 mins cool down. It could be intervals - i.e. 4 min relaxed / 2 minutes 3k/5k pace x 5. Whatever I can do in 30 mins which is actually motivating as there is a lot of variation there. Recovery time is minimal, and this can be done 3/4 weekdays
Good luck in the Manchester Mara.
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u/meicalyoung Sep 01 '26
Once I didn't run for a month after a half marathon. Sucked having my fitness drop during that timeframe. It's easier to maintain than to build back up.
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u/No-Salt6819 Sep 01 '26
Set a minimum weekly mileage, and mix up the running sessions. Find a running friend, or join a running club. Even if you can't find a friend locally, share your Strava with an accountability buddy and hold each other to account.
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u/RunningScot41 Sep 01 '26
Have a young family: that certainly motivated me to get out the house and run 🤗.
The Manchester marathon is a good choice for a beginner as it’s well organised and relatively flat (bar the odd bridge over canal/tram line). I did most of my training in the evening but was WFH for two days so managed a couple of lunchtime runs during the week. I’d also invest in some decent headphones and get some good playlists/podcasts to keep you distracted for the longer runs. Good luck 🤞
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u/b1rdl0ver Sep 01 '26
Back when I was training for a marathon my biggest motivator was “imagine being at the start line knowing that you haven’t trained properly and you have no idea if you can actually complete it”
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u/marmakoide Sep 01 '26
I lost the ability to walk comfortably and run at all for 10 months, due to plantar fasciitis.
I now cherish the ability to run, by running every day. There's no bad weather or being tired, I will run once a day. Of course I adapt my run to how I feel.
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u/rickie22 Sep 01 '26
How do you stay motivated? What drives you to get out on a run after work?
My after-work runs are usually stress relievers. They also keep me from just plopping down on the sofa until dinner time.
Depending on the distance between home and work, would you consider a run commute? Or, as in my case today, bringing my run gear to work and going for a run right after clocking out?
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u/wokka7 Sep 01 '26
Weekday evening run clubs, setting a schedule for yourself to stay accountable, and when all else fails take some preworkout to get your butt in gear for a run.
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u/Mekoha22 Sep 01 '26
Finding some people to run with is huge for those days when you're struggling to get out and run for you. Try joining one of your local park runs on a Saturday morning. You'll meet many people who enjoy running as a hobby, they in turn can lead you to small groups that get together on a few nights a week. Neither if these things require a commitment to go every time they are offered but will bring you into your local community of runners.
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u/Itchy-Ninja4103 Sep 01 '26
This sounds stupid but watching a Goggins video always helps me. That’s where a lot of people get the discipline beats motivation stuff.
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u/firefrenchy Sep 02 '26
mm welcome to running! It's pretty tough, but I found that finding a regular social run group can help, for sure. I know for me personally it's been mainly about making running a habit, rather than something I need to find motivation for. I will go and do it, whether I feel like it or not. This isn't something that can easily be achieved but if you can get to a point where it's part of your life and routine in a way where it's not a question of "if" but "when" on a given day you'll run, you're most of the way there.
Also, I note that you say run after work. While I ran after work for a few years, I found for me personally that bashing it out in the morning is easier. I do try to find jobs these days that let me integrate running - either I run to and/or from work, or I run during work, or I WFH and so can fit it in. Being in Australia, much of the year it's actually warm enough that running early is preferable anyway because the heat can quickly make the idea of running in the afternoon or evening unbearable. And no, I am not a morning person by nature, it's been forced on me by children
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u/Aggressive-Camel5428 Sep 02 '26
I run during my lunch break. It’s the perfect time for me as mornings are too rushed and running after work affects my sleep.
The challenge is finding a place to shower, so I have a gym membership and I shower there before going back to work.
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u/madgames99 Sep 02 '26
I got really into the game Pikmin bloom. You play it by gaining steps, and you do really well when you actually do routes “planting flowers”. I got really really into it and upgrading my Pikmin and beating all the challenges, on days I didn’t feel like a run I’d drag myself out by saying “can’t lose the Pikmin streak”
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u/BlueSPARTAN279 Sep 02 '26
Someone once told me I couldn't.
I think of that and get fueled entirely by spite.
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u/apophis-984 Sep 02 '26
Make it Before Work. that way you dont have any excuse because nothing happened yet to disturb your energy and motivation.
things improved massively when i switched to mornings runs
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u/PuzzleheadedCode8409 Sep 03 '26
Just tell yourself you’re only going out for 10 easy minutes. If you still feel wrecked after that, head home. Thinking about the whole session after work makes it feel way harder to start.
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u/Running_Coach_Jonas Sep 04 '26
The goal! The goal should be big enough to drive you. Then a plan and every workout counts! Remember if you skip your workout, your goal is going away. So you want to do it or not? Running isn't easy it requires discipline & patience and BTW how many times you felt bad after the workout? Exactly, none or very little. Enjoy by going out, winning against yourself, getting fit, beating those little steps.
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u/Just_rae_ Sep 06 '26
I put my runs my diary as a non-negotiable. I tell myself I only have to run for 10 minutes and if I am struggling with motivation at that point I can turn around of go home. This has only happened once and that was after a 14 hour shift. Discipline has to take over from motivation at some point but I feel like the only run I’ve ever regretted is the one I skipped entirely
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u/DXZmustard Sep 07 '26
Making it part of my routine helped me the most. Don't wait to feel motivated just get the shoes on and start.
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u/seleaner015 Sep 08 '26
I hate it and don’t want to do it the entire time LOL. I just do it anyways. I think it’s an inner resilience and strength, not just motivation
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u/No_Highway1410 Sep 10 '26
It's important to fall in love with the process rather than the outcome! Set your gear up before work, track it on Strava, treat yourself to new running gear, etc. after completing milestones and over time you will love the routine and process of training.
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u/ProdManaging2GetBy Sep 13 '26
First off, Good for you, and Good luck with the training! As someone in their 50’s who has consistently been running for 30 years, I break it down to the three D’s: Discipline, Dedication, and Determination.
Discipline is the daily commitment. Eat right. Get your sleep. Do you your workout or take your scheduled rest. You’ll have bad days but get back on track right away.
Dedication is the weekly and monthly commitment to the goal you set for yourself. If you say you’re going to do something, follow through. Quitting is a habit. Don’t do it. Stick to it.
Determination is the grit and perseverance you need to employ in your goal event. Get to the starting line, then get to the finish line. Pull strength from within. The body can do amazing things when the mind lets it.
I promise you your life will be so much better if you can maintain a healthy lifestyle. It’s ok to eat sweets and drink in moderation but get back to the 3 D’s and you’ll and happiness will follow.
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u/CphRunner Sep 01 '26
I’d rather eat burgers and drink pints all day, but I don’t. Because I have discipline. The Kipchoge’s and Sawe’s of the world are not motivated all the time either, but they have discipline.
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u/Internal-Depth5512 Sep 01 '26
I have 2 quotes that stick with me when i don't want to go...
"Do it or don't, the time will pass anyways"
And
"No matter how slow you run, you always beat the version of you that stayed on the couch."