Practising appreciation for running

When you do something every day for years, you can lose some of the gusto you had when you started. With running, you might struggle with waking up early for workouts, and occasionally lack motivation to get out for training. Everyone has moments like these, and it’s OK to sleep through an alarm or to stay home and relax every now and then. If you find that running has become a chore, try reminding yourself that running isn’t something you have to do, it’s something you get to do.

You might not always be able to run

You can’t really appreciate something until it’s gone, and that’s certainly the case with running. Anyone who has ever been injured knows what it’s like to be unable to run. Hopefully you’ll run until your final days, but at some point, for whatever reason—injury, health or time issues—you might not be able to. You might not fully appreciate running until you can’t do it any more, but imagining not being able to do it might help you appreciate it more. 

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You could be quarantined

If you’d read this a month ago, you probably would’ve said, “Canadian Running, you guys OK?” Well, look where we are now—thousands of people around the world are quarantined, ill in hospital, or self-isolating, and many have died. The entire city of San Francisco is now forced to stay at home, and that could happen in Canadian cities, too (though we hope it won’t). Nothing will make you appreciate running more than being stuck in your house or apartment for for days on end. So, while you still can, get out and run. And appreciate every minute of it.  

Escape the bad news cycle

Unless you don’t watch TV or use the internet (which is not the case, because, well, you’re reading this web article), you’re bound to see negative tweets, posts and stories, many of which will focus on COVID-19. Even if you aren’t trying to find this content, it’s virtually unavoidable. This is what’s trending now, and everyone’s talking about it, whether it’s CNN on TV or your mom on Facebook.

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Going for a run can be a great way to leave the bad news behind for a little while. You can listen to music or a podcast, use some of your pent-up energy and hit the streets for some much needed exercise. You might not even realize how much the constant bad news is weighing on you until you take a break, so do yourself a favour by putting your phone down and going out for a run. The escape will probably give you a whole new appreciation for our sport.