#RunEveryDay – what could be worse?

By Sarah Tunstall

#Runeveryday ….Why? What could be worse!? Would be the reply of most of the population!

So why should you make the extra effort this October to get out and run more? The best reason I can give is probably that running is one of those activities that you get out of it what you put in. It requires that little bit of extra effort, motivation and self-discipline. You can’t be good or reap the rewards by paying someone or simply clicking your fingers…and that’s applicable from beginners through to elite levels. It should come with a disclaimer “Hard work mandatory”!

Saying that, there are many rewards to running; Feeling more energetic and productive throughout the day rank amongst the obvious health and fitness benefits. As well as just a general, maybe clichéd feeling of wellbeing having;

a) Been outside, sweated and pushed yourself outside of you comfort zone for the day and

b) You’ve done something that it’s easier not to do! As the saying goes though, if it was easy everyone would do it!

Using the #Runeveryday challenge this October can help kick-start you to get out for a run or walk every day this month. Maybe you need a good excuse to restart a running regime after a holiday or the kids’ Summer break causing a lapse in your usual routine. Starting the challenge and running even just a bit more than you usually do will help promote a habit you’ll stick to for the longer term.

Grab a friend for an added motivational benefit and double the rewards but don’t take the title too literally, if you’re not used to running every day…get outside and walk too…no injuries are wanted!!

Maybe you’ve wanted to start running for a while and can use this coming month as a good time to get going. There’s no disguising that running is hard and it requires; commitment, effort and making time in already busy work and family schedules. There are often aches, pains, blisters, stitches and numerous other things to complain about but as so often happens, the more effort you put in, the more satisfaction you get out.  I often hear amongst runners, of all ability levels, that the hardest thing about running is getting out of the door. We convince ourselves of all kinds of reasons why we’ll “do it tomorrow.” However, in the age of catch up TV, missing Corrie definitely isn’t a valid excuse anymore!!

So embrace October, use #Runeveryday to help motivate you achieve your own goals, whether that’s fitness, weight loss, your local 10km or Parkrun, the upcoming Cross-Country season or the 2020 Olympics. The extra little bit of effort won’t go wasted and the personal best time, finisher medal/T shirt or end result will feel even sweeter as a result of your hard work…the only run you regret is the one you didn’t do!!