Teaching yourself discipline
Chosen Challenge: “Get Lean”, “Advanced”
Today, the NTC app challenged me with a 60 minute light jog. I am already an active runner and try run between 15-20km every week. I live in a suburb in Johannesburg that is safe and quiet enough to run on the road and there is a huge park in the middle of our suburb. I’m divulging these details because having a good area to run in is half of the challenge of running.I don’t have to drive elsewhere to run, I can step outside and plod along.
If your area is not somewhere you would like to spend a lot of time running alone, it’s best you do what you do best and ask Google to help you find running club. Some running clubs are free and just consist of people in your neighbourhood with the same caution towards running alone, so why not run together? If you are shy and are nervous you will be forced to talk to people whilst you’re running, just politely sprint away! NO! Everyone has social anxieties sometimes, I find it easy now to simply and politely say, “Sorry, I can’t run and talk” to Mr/Ms Chatterbox. If that doesn’t work, smile creepily… I’m also a firm believer in the phrase,
“if you can talk whilst you’re running, you’re doing it wrong…”
If social anxiety holds you back from running with other people, you should stop thinking about only yourself, you’ll see that everyone is running together because they want to be safe and motivated, not because they want to make fun of you. You’re not that strange, you’re beautiful and you want to be fit!
The other half of the challenge is disciplining yourself to run. When I was starting to run for longer distances I used to run until I got tired and then walk, until I ran with someone who was in better shape than I was. I’d say we had probably run about 3km and I decided it was time for a little walk, pleased I had run so much. I was beginning to take in my surroundings and think about dinner when a fierce voice said, “Don’t stop running! Even if its a light slow jog, don’t stop running!”. Taken aback, I started lifting my feet and swaying my arms until I was slowly jogging along up the road.
Since then, I have never stopped running during training and events. When I do get tired and irritated and the sun stinging my eyes, I slow down and breathe deeply whilst I jog along, one step at a time. I usually look at my feet and watch them push me one step further with every stride. When I have distracted myself from the sun, I have calmed my gasps to deep breaths and my legs feel lighter I feel ready to speed up to a decent run again. Running looks easy. Discipline is what you lack.
Decide on a distance, the NTC app in conjunction with the Nike Running app allow you to choose several different distances or even the amount of time you want to run. What motivates you? Knowing you’ll run for exactly 20 minutes without focusing on the distance or are you more excited by the fact you can brag about running 3km, no matter how long it took you?
By using the app to help you focus on a time or a distance, you are building the foundations for discipline. Choose a challenge based on what you think you can manage. I found a 2km or a 15 minute run was a good start for absolute beginners. If you run a little, just challenge yourself to a 4km or 20 minutes. Once you have challenged yourself to a set time or distance, tie your shoes laces and start running and DON’T STOP RUNNING. If you are running for 60 minutes DON’T STOP RUNNING. If you are tired, jog and even drag your feet along whilst your arms flop to your sides, until you feel stronger and speed up a little but you may not stop until you have gotten to your target.
So teach yourself discipline by setting up a challenge before you leave the house for a run. The NTC app can help you do this too.