How I Made Running Stick

3 tips for building the habit

I love lattes. I make a one every morning with my Moka pot, that tried and true Italian stovetop espresso maker. I look forward to the ritual every day, the mundane actions of heating water in a kettle, scooping coffee grains into a funnel, and putting everything together to wait. Then after 3 minutes or so, while my milk warms in the microwave, I can hear the brewing in the Moka pot and can smell the aroma of a dark honey, caramel, and fudge espresso. I do this habit without even thinking, a habit so ingrained that I’m able to do it still half asleep, and one that upon completion brings me simple joy and sends me off with a fresh start to a new day. #bliss

I have almost found that bliss point with running. I’ve successfully made the habit stick, running every week, rain or shine, but I still think about it. I still schedule my runs and mentally prepare for each and every workout. I’m enjoying the journey, but I look forward to the day when I wake up, my body knows it’s a run day, and I go through the mundane actions of getting dressed, lacing up my shoes, and heading out for a 6-mile run, without even thinking. Whenever that day comes, I will have finally arrived. In the meantime, I’d like to share some thoughts from my running journey so far, specifically tips on how I made running stick.

Tip #1: Plan—Map out potential runs

Once I started running consistently (every week), I began to find my usual 3-mile route tiring. I wanted to see new sights, run longer distances, and explore different terrain. At first, I tried discovering new routes by running aimlessly but then ended up uncomfortably far from home one day, ill-prepared with no water or bus money. After that miserable experience, I started using Google Maps to research running routes and then discovered Map My Run, a site that allows me to draw and save any route I want, including roads, trails, and even paths unknown to Google Maps.

For example, using Map My Run, I mapped out a 3-mile run through a park from which I could still walk back as well as a 2-mile extension that would help me gradually increase my distance and also end my run closer to home. As I familiarized myself with these new routes, I studied distance markers (available in miles or kilometers) to help me visualize and estimate distances as I ran these actual routes outside.

A little bit of planning helped me discover new running routes and visualize new distances as I built my habit of running. Through planning, I also found more enjoyable runs, thus associating an instant reward with my workout. Having a handful of trail and road routes, with different sights to see and terrain to explore, kept my interest in the sport and staved off boredom when running was no longer a novelty.

Try It: Explore locations with Map My Run. Zoom into areas around home or work and map out at least 2 different running routes, maybe a 3-mile loop around the neighborhood and a 2-mile out-and-back stretch along a bike bath.

Tip #2: Run with a buddy—Have accountability partners

I succeed most often when I’m part of a team, when I’m surrounded by people who support, inspire, and challenge me. So, at the start of my running journey, I looked for that team and ended up cultivating two special accountability partners.

An obvious choice was a good friend of mine who already enjoyed running. Sometimes, I would ask her to run with me on the weekends, and we would run my pace for 30 minutes then walk or run slower on the return home. She became my running buddy, extremely helpful in the beginning when I didn’t always feel like running. Whenever she would ask, I almost always rearranged plans to join her on a run. These running dates weren’t weekly affairs, but they were frequent enough throughout the month that they motivated me to sustain the habit and we could also catch-up socially while working out.

A less obvious choice but still crucial to my running journey was a distant cousin who lived half-way around the world. After connecting via email + Facebook + family members, I discovered he ran ultra marathons. How fortuitous! We exchanged emails periodically and developed a deeper connection over photos and running. His stories simply inspired me. I signed up for my first race and shared my results with him. His response was more than encouraging which motivated me to sign up for more races. Lo and behold, I was well on my way to my first half marathon. And when he occasionally gets to visit the U.S., we meet up, talk about recent races, and stage fun photos like this one.

Even though my cousin lived on the other side of the world, our email exchanges kept me accountable. Once I told him of races I had signed up for, I felt committed to follow-through, I didn’t want to bail on him. This long-distance relationship kept me just as accountable as the relationship I had in-town with my running buddy. Having these two and several other friends encouraging me throughout the journey helped me build a running habit successfully.

Try It: Reach out to a couple friends, existing runners or those new to running who also want to build the habit. Run with them, talk about running, ask questions, and cultivate relationships that would mentor, inspire, and encourage success in this new journey.

Tip #3: Race—Set a goal

When I started running again, I didn’t have a race in mind or a measurable goal in sight. I just wanted to run for fitness’ sake. When I finally decided to run a local 10km (6.2mi) race, my long runs were already over 5 miles, so I wanted to step up and take my running to the next level.

In hindsight, I wished I had done it sooner. Having something specific to work towards catapulted my growth in my running habit. It provided focus to press on during days of blasé running, it presented a challenge to run my longest distance, and it prepared my mind to consider new possibilities that running affords. This race started to change the way I thought about running. I had a slew of questions about technique, strategy, and how to run faster and stronger. I even discovered new insights about myself. Racing was an eye-opening experience for me.

Once I ran my first race, I discovered that I wanted to learn so much more about the sport. I set my sights on longer races and loftier goals. I looked for a running coach and read running articles. My interest in running had been awakened with renewed vigor — I began to immerse myself in all things running.

Try It: Set a running goal, something concrete and measurable that’s just out of current reach, maybe a 5km or 10km or mud run race. Set a goal, share it with an accountability partner, and work towards it. Who knows? The results might be enlightening.

Lately, I’ve been imagining a scene where I’m sipping a latte on a porch overlooking waves crashing onto the beach. Then, as an afterthought, my conscious mind paints a pair of running shoes in the frame, off to the side but still in view. This imagery is uncanny because in reality, I go through the actions of making my morning latte without even thinking. Running, however, I still think about. I still plan my runs and build them into my weekly schedule, and I’ve been searching for that bliss point where I wake up on a run day and go through the actions of heading out for a 6-mile run — without even thinking. I really hope to get there one day, but in the meantime, I’ll simply continue sipping my latte and sharing my journey.

Read on to learn about racing.