For me it’s really important to go running regularly, but it can be hard sometimes to motivate yourself. Here are some things and ideas that I use to motivate myself and make it easier to get started.

Reduce time to get started

Running should be as easy as possible without a long preparation time. So have your running clothes ready and make sure it doesn’t take longer than 5-10 minutes from the point of time where you think about it to actually get started. For me it’s that I feel the motivation to go running and if I wait to long it goes away :-) So starting as soon as possible without thinking about it is key.

Use a tracking application on your smartphone

Using a tracking application on your phone allows you to get direct feedback on your performance. I personally use Runtastic and have it setup in a way that it gives me all the details every 500 meters. With this I can make sure that I keep the training performance on a certain level. You can even use a live tracking mode to get live support from your Facebook friends and Twitter followers.

Go Wireless

Using a wireless headset was one of the best investments for me. It just is easier to handle and allows you to get started hassle-free and a lot quicker. Before that I used the normal Apple Earpods and an armband for the phone which was rather uncomfortable. Now I just put my phone into my pocket and put on the Bluetooth headset. This usually takes less than 20 seconds. Currently I use the Jabra Sport+, which is nice to wear, but the sound quality is not yet perfect. Still looking for a better sounding alternative.

Listen to different music everytime

Music helps a lot to not get bored on the run, which is important to not stop before you have really started. I made the experience that it sometimes gets tough when you listen to the same playlist again and again, so I started using Spotify radio which was perfect as it gives me random songs depending on my taste of music. The only downside is that you need internet access on your phone while running, but this shouldn’t be a real problem nowadays.

How do you motivate yourself to go for a run and what things do you use to support that?