Have you resolved to start running this year?  Here’s how to make sure you don’t give up.

It can happen to anyone.  Fired up by your New Year’s Resolutions, you start of strong, diligently ticking off your first few runs.   But before long, the excitement wears off, you skip a workout here and there, and before you know it, lacing up becomes a chore.  Don’t despair though, there are lots of ways to push through the tough times, bypass the excuses and restart your running engines.

Here are some common reasons people give up running when they first take it up, and here are also some ways to beat the feelings:

You feel out of breath

Beat it: If you can’t talk in full sentences when you run, you’re running too fast.  Run one minutes and walk one minute for 10 minutes.  Shift to a 2:1 run:walk ratio for the next 10 minutes.  Do whatever you feel like for the last 10 minutes of your session.

You feel like stopping

Beat it: Starting out too fast can lead to an increase in muscle waste products (such as lactic acid) that can make you feel sluggish.  Head out slowly and remember, no pace is too slow.  Everyone has their own pace and try not to feel pressured to go any faster than you want to.

You feel time pressed

Beat it: Multi task: replace your evening commute with a run home; run around the park when you take your kids out to play; or if you have a home treadmill, run while you’re waiting for your dinner to cook or while your clothes are in the washing machine.

You feel bored

Beat it: Establish a mission for every run.  Run to get a coffee or to pick up your weekly shop.  Do a few accelerations in the middle ofyour loop.  On measured paths or trails, try to run a few seconds faster every mile.  Run your regular loop back to front, or loop different streets, or get a friend to join you.

You feel frustrated

Beat it: Once a week, run four laps of a track.  Time yourself.  try to beat the previous time.  Every other week, slow down your long run and increase the distance by up to half a mile.  Seeing your mileage add up and your times go down might rekindle your motivation.

Finally, here’s a 3 days a week plan to getting you from running zero to 30 minutes in 8 weeks:

Looking for a 10k plan to get your started?  Go here:  Getting Started 10k Plan.