Running is undergoing a renaissance. There’s a run club on every corner and parkrun numbers have never been greater.
However, with modern running culture obsessed with PBs and ultra distances, it’s easy to forget why you got into running in the first place.
In this article, we’ll explore the joy of running at its core. You’ll learn how mindfulness and awe can help to maintain a lifelong love of running. Why comparison is the thief of running happy. And how you can squeeze more fun out of every step.
The Joy of Running, For Me
For me, running is part exercise, part self-care. Simultaneously the prose and poetry in my life.
Through intentional practice, I’ve transcended the functional benefits of putting one foot in front of another.
I’ve learnt to also lean on running as a way of becoming the best version of myself – somebody who is more resilient, more positive, more grateful and compassionate, with a profoundly deeper connection to my surroundings.
I look forward to getting up and out every day. I know I’m lucky to do so.
Running has given me so much and Joy Runs – and this article – are my way of paying that forward.
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7 Tips for Running Happy
Tip 1: Slowing Down to See More
Try swapping speed for more soulful runs.
The need for speed only motivates for so long. By running with an open mind and eyes, you can turn wander into wonder.
A contemplative run will gift you an embarrassment of joys, from stunning vistas and one-of-a-kind moments, to touching encounters with nature and wildlife. A series of mini adventures waiting to be discovered. Minor thrills stopping us in our tracks to offer a glimpse of a meaning greater than ourselves.
The different Joy Run themes are an invitation to slow down and capture mementos of your runs. A daily exercise in presence, perspective and joy-seeking.
Tip 2: Embrace Running In Different Seasons
Running’s beauty is it’s a year-round sport.
Resist the temptation to bunker down in colder months. You’ll be starving yourself of a fresh set of joys.
A more consistent running routine allows you to live more fully, experiencing the full joy of running in tune with nature’s rhythm.
Take the joy of light, for example. There’s the blue skies and intense shadows of summer. The softer, glowing light of autumn. The still serenity of winter. And the cheerful sparkle of spring.
Throughout a leaf’s life, we see the green growth of spring and summer. Autumn brings a rusty palette of reds, purples, yellows and orange. Then they depart for a season in winter.
It’s not just runs in nature that change with the seasons.
The joy of rewards after a run are also different. A hot bath or hot chocolate might be the tonic in winter, whereas summer runs are motivated by ice cream, beer gardens and picnics in the parks.
The less appealing conditions are also when stamina is formed.
Tip 3: Seek Out New Running Routes
Joy Runs forces you to swap repetition for adventures.
Running the same paths time and again can get monotonous. Particularly if you’re clocking long distances.
Exploring new trails and parks, or even seeing your own neighbourhood with new eyes can bring back the thrill of running. The change in scenery not only represents a physical reset but also boosts mental stimulation, making each outing more exciting and rewarding.
I personally love to explore new running trails. I find trail running more challenging than road running due to the uneven terrain and elevation changes – those mini obstacles adding an element of adventure and the unknown into my runs. It’s also where the full joy of running can be felt as you stumble upon breathtaking scenery, heritage sites and wildlife.
There’s something about feeling closer to nature that a treadmill or loops round a track will never beat.
Tip 4: Appreciate What Your Body Can Do
Good health is a gift. Being thankful for what your body can do and where it can take you is the real secret to running happy.
Accepting your body and its uniqueness, and avoiding comparison with others, can work wonders in building a positive relationship with your body. So too breaking free from the usual pace tracking apps, as you realise that speed and distance aren’t everything.
Committing to a regular running schedule centred on gratitude and compassion is an act of true self-love.
The progress you’ll experience with mindful running fuels self-belief that bleeds into the rest of your life. You see beauty everywhere. More seems possible. You grow as an individual, an in turn crave more enriching adventures. Ultimately living life to its fullest.
So, tune in to your body, and do more of what it asks.
Tip 5: Soak Up the Inspiration
We’ve all had that epiphany when on a run or in the shower. Our subconscious mind has been searching for that breakthrough idea, but it’s only able to enter our conscious mind when there’s room.
I find running off road to be best because nobody else is around. You’re free to wander, as is your mind. It’s only when we relieve ourselves from high-pressure situations and start to drift can we do our best thinking.
For me, there’s no better way to move beyond writer’s block, dream up new ideas, or work through a challenging situation.
Research shows a 60% boost in creative output when you lose yourself in exercise versus sitting. Getting active gets your creative juices flowing.
Tip 6: Tap Into a Running Community
Double the joy by running together with others.
As many as one in four people worldwide – or 1 billion people – are lonely.
Whilst running is traditionally seen as a solo sport, sharing the experience with others can be a powerful tonic.
A social lubricant to help work through life’s struggles, such as loneliness, heartbreak, bad bosses or grief. At the very least, it’ll broaden your friendship group and mix up your training.
The community hasn’t got to be in-person either. Joy Runners is perfect for introverted runners, such as myself. You are able to grow in the company of others, without the rigid schedule or small talk. All it takes is a simple photo or video of your run for the community to celebrate with you, and vice versa.
Running happy is often a team sport.
Tip 7: Running Happy With Total Freedom
I love the sense of freedom a running gives you.
It’s a feeling akin to clocking off at 5pm on a Friday. Sleeping under the stars. Riding a bike. Swimming in open water. Or the joy of a breakfast buffet.
There’s something so childlike and carefree about setting off on a run without a fixed route or split time in mind.
You get to choose your adventure – through fields, barefoot on the beach, park hopping, exploring new trails, or a spot of running tourism in your home town. The possibilities are endless.
Joy Runs hopes to turn every run into a treasure hunt. You’ll appreciate the little things in life and see the world around with you with new eyes.
So, what’s your joy of running?
Let us know in the comments box below…
