The Joy of Rewards: Running Towards A Treat

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If your motivation to run ever wanes, don’t worry, Joy Runs has you covered.

Run culture is all too often about pain, sacrifice, split times and extremes. It’s easy to forget the joyful reasons why you started running in the first place.

For me, it’s to enjoy more of what I love. So, every time I run, I try to do more of that.

This week’s Joy Run is about being kinder to yourself post-run.

It could be finishing with a takeaway coffee or cold pint. The occasional sports massage. A walk on the city walls. Or catching up with a friend.

Whatever your tonic, let’s celebrate getting out and saviour that well-earned reward.

How to run this theme: rewards after running

Maybe you have a go-to reward already, or perhaps you’d like some inspiration.

Here’s a few ideas of how to mark a good run:

  • running to meet friends for a catch-up
  • buttery-rich pastries from a local bakery
  • stopping at a farmer’s market
  • banking a feast for later in the day
  • sleeping in the next day
  • investing in new running gear
  • a long hot bath
  • walking the last mile
  • ice cream on the way home
  • a cold one in a sunny beer garden
Beer garden next to a river

Rewards can be instantly claimed or delayed. Sometimes it’s just a feeling, captured while journaling. Being grateful for the experience and what your body can do.

You set the schedule, why shouldn’t it end on a high?

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Some Joy Run tips

Go, treat yourself. Indulge in whatever takes your fancy.

Remember to post your run photos and how they made you feel on Instagram and/or TikTok, tagging in Joy Runs. You can also share your experience in the comment box below.

I’m excited to see where this week’s theme takes you!

The power of rewards in habit forming

What is rewarded is repeated.

Rewards are a core tenant of the excellent Atomic Habits habit-building framework by James Clear.

Stack of business books including James Clear Atomic Habits

Rewards are crucial to the habit formation process as a shortcut for which habits are worth keeping. The positive experience you engineer reinforces the behaviour just performed.

However, many of running’s benefits are felt over a long timeframe. They’re a gift to your future self, even if you don’t know it at the time. Therefore, by making runs more immediately satisfying it keeps that good habit going for long enough for you to benefit fully.

Any reward you choose then becomes a cue and craving, to motivate you to do it again.

Where a joy of running to eat took me

My appetite for joy is only rivalled by food.

Nothing spikes my enthusiasm for a long run quite like the promise of a new independent brunch spot or a nice dinner.

I also find that pick-me-ups hit differently after exercise. Running up literal food miles makes a toastie tastier, a pastry puffier, or beer hit the spot better. Some people have a gym membership, I have a post-run fun-fund.

Pastry reward a Heppni Bakeri after a Joy Run

My mouth-watering carrot for this week’s Joy Run was the new Heppni Bakeri, in York.

Delivering delicious pastry bombs for a few weeks now, boy did it deliver.

All the usual suspects are here, plus many more inventive numbers. The day’s line-up included the Paddington, an orange marmalade, almond frangipane & lemon glazed stunner, loaded fruit danishes, an nduja, cheddar and hot honey swirl, and about 10 other irresistible options.

Two pastries from Heppni York

For me, the stars of the show were an extra-cheesy pastry and a pain suisse bigger than my head.

I’m heavily pro big flavour combinations of this magnitude. Clever comfort food always worth running for.

Heppni bakery window on a post-run treat
Pastry from Heppni bakery

Behind Heppni's pastry heaven

Anyone who knows head baker and owner, India Luck, isn’t surprised. She’s been making killer pastries locally for ages, in and around many of the great bakeries York is blessed with.

Heppni is a beautiful space for beautiful baked goods. It’s been pulled off with imagination, charm and perfection, making it a hit from the off.

Did my run to Heppni bring me joy? “Yes” would be an understatement. I’m pleased and grateful passionate independents like this exist.

One final thought...

That’s enough about my run. I’m excited to see where this week’s Joy Run takes you.

Don’t forget to tag Joy Runs and the maker or business behind your favourite post-run treat on social. You can also share how a special post-run treat made you feel in the comment box below.

 

→ Other ‘Running is Self-Care‘ themes

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