Wednesday, October 24, 2018

Saturday Session, Vote now and Coops' Corner

Saturday Session

When: Saturday 27th October

Time6am - 7:30am

Where: Meet at the steps near South Beach Social (Previously Southbank Surf Club), Southbank

What:  Long Run.
            Long Run then Park Run
            Just Park Run
            Just Breakfast
            The choices are endless.

Cost: Free, no refreshments sorry BYO

And, of course coffee and breaky after.

Vote Now

It is that time of the year again for us as a squad to vote.

Vote for your Runners Runner this 2018.

When you vote, think of someone in the club who has inspired you, makes you want to keep running, makes you look forward to seeing them at the nest run or event.

Email you vote to info@brisbanerunsquad.com.au.

We will announce the winner of the fine trophy (mug) at the xmas party on 17 November.
Coops' Corner

Pondering motivation: The chicken or the egg?

I was sitting at the park the other day, holding Winnie while the girls played. I sat and watched all the kids, dozens of them running around. Despite the alarming rates of childhood obesity, kids do love to run. Racing to the slide, chasing each other,  running after a ball... In fact, I spend half my working life telling kids to “stop running!!!!!!!!!” Yet, ask them to run for fitness, be it laps of the oval or cross country training and most will resist. Why?

It got me thinking. Kids run for fun. When they run, it is because the act of running itself is the sole purpose. It isn’t the preparation for something. I like to run (no surprises there guys) but I have struggled with motivation this winter. Outside factors (baby and work being the main two) affected time on my feet. That in turn affected my form. I wasn’t racing. So I didn’t feel like running. Running had become a means to an end. The end being running well and performing well. I was waiting on running well again to motivate me to get out and run more. Lets face it, running IS more enjoyable when we feel good.

So... I forced a change in mindset. I decided that going for a run everyday (yes everyday!!) was going to be my purpose. Not to get better. Not to race. But to run. I dropped any type of program, and had no plans as to how far, or how fast any run would be. I would let the ‘feel' of the day decide. I still used a watch, but did not look at it while running. And I deliberately hit the trails regularly where any preconceived plans of pace or splits are gone.

It worked! Not straight away I must admit. A few runs I pushed myself out the door. But on those days I told myself “It's only 20 minutes.” Some of those day were only 20 minutes, and some turned into an hour as once I got out there I felt great!

So why the ramble??? Don't wait to feel good to get running. Get running and you will feel good. Make it habit. Turn “Will I run today?" into “When will I run today?”. And while making running a habit is the goal, be flexible as to when you run. If you always run in the arvo (as I always have) it can throw you out when life gets in the way. I'm forcing myself to ‘like' 5 am runs (even if my stomach doesn't). I started running at 9 or 10am on weekends if that is what worked in a busy schedule. Currently,  I think I have missed 3 days since my epiphany 6 weeks ago.

Make running in your life the means to its own end.

Yours in Blue and White
Coops

Happy Running

BRS COACHES

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