Mojo.
That magical spark which drives you to get up for early morning sweat sessions or the self-confidence to bounce back from a rough patch. 
It seems that lately many of my athletes have been complaining of a mojo drought to rival the Sahara dessert, so today’s topic couldn’t come at a better time.
Personally I blame the current epidemic of mojo loss on the ending of spring races, the change in weather and the mentality we still have from childhood that summer is meant just for relaxing!!
What happens when you’ve lost it and how do you get it back? If only it were so easy as picking up a new amulet at the local pharmacy {err does the pharmacy really sell that?}. Getting motivated to run will become second nature with these tips!
Ok now we can move on to what you really want to know…what happens when you’re mojo has gone in to hiding?!
Challenge Yourself
It sounds counter intuitive when you don’t feel like working out to actually do something harder, but I’ve seen it work wonders for me and others. If you have a 5 mile easy run planned, but are just pained at the thought of continuing after 1 mile then try switching it up.
Try doing a minute of sprinting, a minute easy, then repeating. Or completely switch things up like I have by doing a workout way out of your comfort zone. Both of these give you a moment to be proud of yourself for working hard, which can remind you of why working out feels good {the endorphins certainly don’t hurt either!}.
- Pick a new distance to run and enjoy the excitement
- Try racing a shorter distance for less training time
- Attempt something totally new like a Spartan race
- Take time off from running and join a bootcamp or do Dailyburn with me!
- Read stay motivated once you’ve reached your goal
Embrace It
I’ve talked about embracing the suck a few times with my athletes and even why I love a bad run. But in this case what I’m saying is sometimes it’s just fine to have a lull in your motivation. What’s not fine is to stop eating well and working out for months on end because that just makes getting back on track a million times harder.
Enjoy a week off from training after intense periods and be sure to loosening the reigns once in awhile on your food choices, so you don’t feel deprived. Shoot when all else fails make your green smoothie and put it in a pretty glass! Seriously, make sure you’re enjoying your food and workout.
- Go easier on your runs
- Run shorter
- Take a full week off
- Whine, complain, then get over it
- Find a place to get accountable if you remain in off mode too long
Play!
Sometimes the issue is we have made running a job or a chore. It’s another thing we HAVE to do, instead of something that we GET to do. I admit this is part of why I don’t race a ton. I want to stay in a space where running is something I choose to do because of the joy I find in it and for some that fades when you are focused on nothing but the finish line time.
It can also mean remembering that “working out” doesn’t have to mean a run or hefting weights. It can be time playing in the park, kayaking, hiking, or dancing the night away with friends!
- Join a running group
- Run with a non-competitive friend
- Run a new path
- Get out in nature
- Do a Color Run or a family 5K
- Get some new gear!! Heck yes I call that fun.
- Get a coach for accountability
Attitude Check?
Are you expecting yourself to always run at race pace? Are you expecting more of yourself than reasonable for training? What’s going on in the rest of your life? Are you working a ton of hours? Rushing around to meet the demands of everyone else in the family?
The truth is sometimes it hard to have full on mojo when you’re exhausted and overextended. Maybe it’s time to find a little quite for you or if that’s not possible, just time to adjust your attitude wherever possible. I have shared openly that my natural tendency can be towards negative thinking so I consciously seek out positive quotes to start every single day.
At the end of the day the best thing you can do is put on your shoes, walk out the door and run. Maybe you make it 5 minutes before calling it a day that’s ok! It’s not about what you do for one day or even one week, it’s about what you do over the long term.
None of these working for you? Running in A Skirt has more ideas for getting your running mojo back.
Sometimes the days we feel the worst result in some of our best runs, so don’t let how you feel in the moment keep you from getting started. Eventually the day will come again that the run feels good and you’ll keep going after that 5 minute mark, but if you don’t show up you’ll never know.
Read about decision fatigue!!
Have you ever lost your running mojo?
What helped you get back on track?
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