Hello runner friends!
Welcome back to the Bass Pro Fitness Series
MIDWEEK M😊TIVATI😊N blog. Now let's get started by talking about how behaving like a child can get you motivated to try new things and run better!
Okay, so raise your hand if you're training for an important goal. Raise your hand if the pursuit of that goal is taking all the fun out of running. Now raise your hand if you’re not training for anything specific but running is just no fun anymore and you can't figure out why or how you can bring the joy back into the sport you once loved so much. Wow! That’s a lot of hands!
So before COVID-19 shut down our education system, I had the blessing of being "Coach Mimi" to the kids in several elementary schools as part of my job as the Wellness Coordinator of our local county health department. And let me tell you, "Coach Mimi" is one of my favorite titles in the world! So you can bet that I've learned a lot from these kids about running with joy simply by watching them. Here are a few of those things we could all learn from them to put the fun back in running.
1. An agility ladder can be a game changer.
I'm not even joking!! I noticed the kids would get bored running laps in the same place all the time. And although the kids couldn't change the place they had to run, I told them that they could always ‘change up’ the place they had to run so we added agility ladders. And the kids loved it! They were shown some drills and then allowed the freedom to do the ones they wanted to do. There were no other rules except to continue moving for a set amount of time. So why don't you try it? And get rid of the rules too! You'll not only have fun but will be improving your Speed, Agility, and Quickness.
2. Cones can also be a game changer.
Don't have cones? Use milk jugs or something similar. Kids love cones and you should too!! They are versatile and are also perfect for improving your Speed, Agility, and Quickness. And do you know what the kids love to do? They love setting up obstacle courses where they will run sideways through the agility ladder and then sprint quickly back and forth through the cones. They are having so much fun that they have no clue that they are becoming better runners!
3. Bail on a bad workout.
Kids don't waste their time and effort when they have a bad day and neither should you. One run won't make or break a training plan but one run can make you unmotivated to get back out there. So when the run isn't fun, go do something else! And be like a kid and don't feel bad about it either. Toss the guilt! Tomorrow is another day. Kids have a million tomorrows right?
4. Embrace Fartleks.
Just say the name fartlek to a kid and they will laugh! The kiddos I was blessed to coach would giggle and make jokes about fartleks which made them even more fun. "Hope you don't fart on your fartlek" they'd yell to one another as they sprinted at full speed to the object I told them to run to. And if you don't know what a fartlek (swedish for "speed play) is, it's simply picking a random object and running as fast as you can to it and then slowing down for a bit only to pick another random object and do it again. And hey if you happen to fart on your fartlek, don't be afraid to laugh about it too. Remember... you are trying to channel your inner child.
5. See the possibilities.
In my first year of coaching, I asked the kids why they wanted to be in the running program I was teaching. The majority of them said things like, "so I can have fun" or "so I can get faster" but one of these precious children said, "so I can lose weight." Now that broke my heart! That was not something a child so young should have to worry about. And as I watched him for the first couple of weeks, my heart began to stir; at each session, this young boy looked down as he made a concentrated effort to do a run/walk while the other kids around him sprinted and ran effortlessly. One day I purposely walked alongside him and said, "You know, I've been watching you for a while and you're a really good runner." "Really?" he asked as he looked up at me. "Really," I said as I patted him on the back and smiled. And you know what? That child never walked with his head down again! He went on to claim many of the awards we gave out that year including Most Improved! Now how do you like that? When given the right words, children see and believe that anything is possible just as we should. And here’s a word for you... anything is possible!
And on a final note... I hope you will remember that growing old is inevitable but growing up is totally optional. And, if you ask me, it's totally overrated too. So be like a child and run with joy! Get excited about the small stuff. Stop to smell the flowers and take in the beauty and brilliance of each new sunrise the Lord blesses you with. Cast aside your agenda and your preconceived notion of what your run is supposed to look like from time to time and just run with abandon! You'll be so glad you did. 😊
Happy Running!!!
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