all runners are different, so i can`t give you any suggestions, but i will try to answer your question what i do when i lost motivation. Over they years i made the experience that motivation or the lack of motivation was a huge disturbing aspect of my running. The feeling to need a reward as a reason to chase after a race or a pb or anything in running to be proud of and tell stories about to friends and family, was bad. So i decided, that for my running and my personal view on life, it was best to get rid of motivation once and for all. It took a long time and many steps to get it done. The main task was to put running on a new and different level, on the same level as sleeping, eating drinking and breathing. Those are all things i just do without needing any motivation.....it is just what i do every day no questions asked. As a start i changed my goal from running to moving forward on foot, what made walking equal to running. The next step was to put frequency and consistency over duration and training effect. I started to go for a walk at sunrise every day for 15 minutes. I tricked myself in developing this new habit, by connecting it with something i like and an old habit. I like to be out in nature, when the new day awakes, and i love a nice breakfast. So put all into one: Going for a short walk, greeting the new day and having a nice breakfast was just one single action. I managed to get out, because my reward was feeling the new day, and the whole thing was connected with a very old habit of having a relaexed breakfast. After 6 weeks, i had the new habit in place, and only then i added some longer walks or some running parts during the walk.......i can honestly say, this put me physically and mentally in the best place i have ever been in my life.......and the running might be very very slow, but happier and more joyful than i ever could dream. No motivation,no carrots on a stick in front of me, most runs without a stopwatch, practically no races, just moving forward as i please......... .......just what i do....this should answer your question
What a beautiful message you have shared! It's so nice to know that good habits can be implemented with time and patience. It sounds like you really have it figured out and I'm really happy for you. You seem to have found the ultimate "why" in running, in that there doesn't actually have to be a "why" necessarily. It can just be something that you do and that's good enough in itself. Sometimes I'm tempted to be someone who runs every single day. I think that'll be something I'll work on long term. Running, exercise or just being healthy should just be what everyone does, without the goals, competition and pressure. I really enjoyed your message 😊 I will be re-reading and referring to this a lot. Thank you so much!
@@YuennyLam thank you very much for your nice feedback. We runners are all on a long journey, learning and trying every day. It took me 45 years, many wrong turns along the way, a lot of frustrations and disappoinments in myself and in my inability to find that happy and save place i was searching for. Numbers are nice and fine and have a place in running, but the heart and soul of running is about feelings, connection to nature, being a small human in a big world, always finding joy and peace of mind, when running or walking, which are both equally worth doing..........just doing, in patience and consistency, trying to enjoy today`s run, no questions asked, like the seasons of the year, the path of the moon, the waves in the ocean, no start, no end, no goals, just giving our soul a healthy and happy body to feel save as long as we are roaming the earth.......one day at a time,
You have certainly become a very wise person through time, patience and experience. I have a lot to learn from someone like you. You sound very calm as well and just reading your message makes me feel calm. We all live and learn. We try our best, we make mistakes but we become better people through all those hurdles and obstacles. I appreciate the things I've gone through. Some aren't that nice and some I'd rather forget, but that's what makes us who we are. I'm still learning a lot about running too and I think as long as we are willing to do those things and try, we are good enough. Thank you again for the lovely chat!
@@YuennyLam absolutely, as long as we are trying to be good honest and loving people, we are good enough, i thank you for reading and replying in a kind way
You’ve just got to rely on discipline when the motivation falters. If you don’t get the training done you won’t get the result you want 🤷🏻♀️ I had many moments like this training through winter in England - you’ve just got to get over not wanting to do it and do it regardless. You’ve got this 💪🏻
It definitely has to be discipline that gets you where you want to be. Well done for training through winter. I did the same training for my spring marathon, running in the cold, rain and darkness. It was horrendous with the short days during winter but I did do it. I'm still running consistently, just need to get better at S&C. We can do this 💪🏻
Morning Yuenny. It is difficult to stay constantly motivated and/or disciplined. I think that may just be human nature. Everybody needs to find their own "why?". I struggle sometimes, as we all do, but I try to remember how far I have come in a relatively short time. I try to shift the focus from goals (times/distances etc) to just enjoying being out there just running. I try to never forgot how incredibly fortunate we are to able to do what we do. We tend to normalize our incredible achievements, but we should try not to. Many, many people would give anything to be able to do what we do. I was following a runner at an event recently and they had a T shirt that said "I choose to run today because tomorrow I may not be able". It kind of resonated with me and maybe sums up how we should all treat our hobby. Hope you find your mojo soon. Looking forward to sharing your journey through Chicago and beyond. Stay rebellious 😁👍
Thank you. I do try to remind myself to just go out for a run, ignoring pace/distance. The runs I really enjoy are the ones where I just set myself a time, e.g. 45mins or however long I want to run for and then just see how I feel. I may run slow, I might walk a bit or I might even run fast if I'm having a good day. I think it probably has something to do with having this "goal" to aim for, which sometimes makes running feel like a task. I love that quote on the t-shirt you saw. I'll need to tell myself that more often, not just for running but day-to-day life too.
It's really nice when everything is green and the sun is shining 😊 It makes me very happy. Even though it can feel very hot at times, but I'd much prefer to have this sort of weather than cold/wet. Hope you're well 😊
All runners go through what you're feeling currently. I wonder about my running journey from time to time. As much as I like to run marathons in New York, Chicago and other places, I cannot afford it. I run the local races when I can and run to stay fit for free. I always enjoy your videos and thank you for taking the time making it.
I'm a bit disappointed in myself for feeling the way I do, but I know I will come back stronger. I still run consistently and I'm always going to run as long as I am healthy enough to do so. Races are so expensive 😞 I really have to pick and choose which ones I enter because I simply can't afford it. Thank you for watching as always and the lovely support. It means a lot to speak to nice people in the running community. Are you training for anything at the moment? Do you enjoy summer running? I know you struggled running when it was really cold, but if you had to choose, would you rather in the cold or warmth?
I love your honest videos and to be honest I feel like your experiences with running is so in sync with mine. The only difference is that I failed to finish my first attempt doing a Marathon whilst on the other hand you have succeeded crossing the finish line. I got as far as 20 miles and I was frozen. It was raining and windy that day in Lincolnshire so I had to ask my partner to come meet me. I couldn’t move anymore and when I got home it took me 4 hours to stop shivering. I think ever since then I have lost the love and spark with running. I’m still struggling to get back out there. Ps we can do this!
You did really well getting to 20 miles. It's a horrendously long distance to be running. Even just walking that distance in one go is huge, let alone trying to run it while being freezing cold. Sorry the marathon didn't work out for you, but there are many more you can run in the future. I understand how and why you feel the way you do though. I think if I've put in all the time and effort into training but didn't get the result I wanted I would feel really demotivated. Even having completed my first marathon I feel like the injuries prevented me from having a better time so I think that's another reason why I've lost motivation a bit. I really put in a lot of work to train but still ended up injured and it just didn't go so well for me. Mentally it has affected me a lot, which I'm still recovering from I think. Take some time off and allow yourself to have a break. Also give yourself some time to decide what you might want to do in terms of running. Maybe go for shorter distances instead? I find more joy running 10Ks and Half Marathons to be honest, but I also want to see where Marathons can take me. I just need to re-focus and stick to my goals. Hope you'll figure something out 😊
I kind of echo what another poster said about relying on discipline to get you through those moments where motivation isn’t there. I’m the kind of person who has to have structure in their lives otherwise I will just allow the bad habits and laziness to sink in and so I have my routine and the set days for when I run or do workouts at the gym and do my Sunday long run religiously. It helps when I just don’t feel the desire and I remind myself that I have always felt better for coming back home afterwards. I must say that it’s not always easy and at peak work times or at the times of the year when it’s grim and cold and wet and gloomy here in the UK i do struggle. And you’re right that if mentally you are off then physically you will be too. I find that always having a target helps me maintain my routine. It’s frustrating when I don’t have events planned until ages away and the urge to take a break is quite strong but I just dig in and remind myself that for me it’s all about the routine and the process and that I always feel better for getting out there!
I agree. Kind of what I said in the video, that I have to rely on discipline but I've lost that a bit recently and I get annoyed at myself. So annoyed that I actually managed two Physio workouts this week, so I still have it in me somewhere 😊 Routine really helps me too, that's why the three runs a week fits into my schedule perfectly. And it still works very well, but trying to add these extra activities just seem to be a bit tough at the moment. It definitely takes a lot of mental strength to go out running during winter, but when my mind was in the right place training for my first marathon, I was getting out there every run without missing any sessions. I just need to figure out what days of the week I can do the extra necessary bits. Do you prefer winter or summer running? I think part of the struggle is that the marathon feels like a long way away, but you're right, it's a process and needs to be a journey rather than just ticking off tasks. I think I need to learn to shift my mindset, which will probably help me a lot.
It’s natural for there to be ups and downs both with running motivation and mentally. There’s not really a solution for it however, it’s important to just stay disciplined because that’s what separates you from others. Personally I’m a massive quote guy and I usually come across one and use it when I’m feeling down or loss of running motivation. For example. “Discipline is doing something you hate doing but do it like you love it” - Mike Tyson.
What a lovely message! I like the bit about "because that's what separates you from others". I will remind myself of that 😊 That can be my mantra when I'm really struggling, so thank you. Hope your running is going well.
all runners are different, so i can`t give you any suggestions, but i will try to answer your question what i do when i lost motivation.
Over they years i made the experience that motivation or the lack of motivation was a huge disturbing aspect of my running. The feeling to need a reward as a reason to chase after a race or a pb or anything in running to be proud of and tell stories about to friends and family, was bad.
So i decided, that for my running and my personal view on life, it was best to get rid of motivation once and for all.
It took a long time and many steps to get it done. The main task was to put running on a new and different level, on the same level as sleeping, eating drinking and breathing. Those are all things i just do without needing any motivation.....it is just what i do every day no questions asked.
As a start i changed my goal from running to moving forward on foot, what made walking equal to running.
The next step was to put frequency and consistency over duration and training effect. I started to go for a walk at sunrise every day for 15 minutes. I tricked myself in developing this new habit, by connecting it with something i like and an old habit. I like to be out in nature, when the new day awakes, and i love a nice breakfast. So put all into one: Going for a short walk, greeting the new day and having a nice breakfast was just one single action. I managed to get out, because my reward was feeling the new day, and the whole thing was connected with a very old habit of having a relaexed breakfast. After 6 weeks, i had the new habit in place, and only then i added some longer walks or some running parts during the walk.......i can honestly say, this put me physically and mentally in the best place i have ever been in my life.......and the running might be very very slow, but happier and more joyful than i ever could dream.
No motivation,no carrots on a stick in front of me, most runs without a stopwatch, practically no races, just moving forward as i please.........
.......just what i do....this should answer your question
What a beautiful message you have shared!
It's so nice to know that good habits can be implemented with time and patience. It sounds like you really have it figured out and I'm really happy for you. You seem to have found the ultimate "why" in running, in that there doesn't actually have to be a "why" necessarily. It can just be something that you do and that's good enough in itself.
Sometimes I'm tempted to be someone who runs every single day. I think that'll be something I'll work on long term. Running, exercise or just being healthy should just be what everyone does, without the goals, competition and pressure.
I really enjoyed your message 😊 I will be re-reading and referring to this a lot.
Thank you so much!
@@YuennyLam thank you very much for your nice feedback. We runners are all on a long journey, learning and trying every day. It took me 45 years, many wrong turns along the way, a lot of frustrations and disappoinments in myself and in my inability to find that happy and save place i was searching for.
Numbers are nice and fine and have a place in running, but the heart and soul of running is about feelings, connection to nature, being a small human in a big world, always finding joy and peace of mind, when running or walking, which are both equally worth doing..........just doing, in patience and consistency, trying to enjoy today`s run, no questions asked, like the seasons of the year, the path of the moon, the waves in the ocean, no start, no end, no goals, just giving our soul a healthy and happy body to feel save as long as we are roaming the earth.......one day at a time,
You have certainly become a very wise person through time, patience and experience. I have a lot to learn from someone like you. You sound very calm as well and just reading your message makes me feel calm.
We all live and learn. We try our best, we make mistakes but we become better people through all those hurdles and obstacles. I appreciate the things I've gone through. Some aren't that nice and some I'd rather forget, but that's what makes us who we are. I'm still learning a lot about running too and I think as long as we are willing to do those things and try, we are good enough.
Thank you again for the lovely chat!
@@YuennyLam absolutely, as long as we are trying to be good honest and loving people, we are good enough, i thank you for reading and replying in a kind way
You’ve just got to rely on discipline when the motivation falters. If you don’t get the training done you won’t get the result you want 🤷🏻♀️ I had many moments like this training through winter in England - you’ve just got to get over not wanting to do it and do it regardless. You’ve got this 💪🏻
It definitely has to be discipline that gets you where you want to be. Well done for training through winter. I did the same training for my spring marathon, running in the cold, rain and darkness. It was horrendous with the short days during winter but I did do it. I'm still running consistently, just need to get better at S&C. We can do this 💪🏻
Morning Yuenny. It is difficult to stay constantly motivated and/or disciplined. I think that may just be human nature. Everybody needs to find their own "why?". I struggle sometimes, as we all do, but I try to remember how far I have come in a relatively short time. I try to shift the focus from goals (times/distances etc) to just enjoying being out there just running. I try to never forgot how incredibly fortunate we are to able to do what we do. We tend to normalize our incredible achievements, but we should try not to. Many, many people would give anything to be able to do what we do. I was following a runner at an event recently and they had a T shirt that said "I choose to run today because tomorrow I may not be able". It kind of resonated with me and maybe sums up how we should all treat our hobby. Hope you find your mojo soon. Looking forward to sharing your journey through Chicago and beyond. Stay rebellious 😁👍
Thank you. I do try to remind myself to just go out for a run, ignoring pace/distance. The runs I really enjoy are the ones where I just set myself a time, e.g. 45mins or however long I want to run for and then just see how I feel. I may run slow, I might walk a bit or I might even run fast if I'm having a good day.
I think it probably has something to do with having this "goal" to aim for, which sometimes makes running feel like a task. I love that quote on the t-shirt you saw. I'll need to tell myself that more often, not just for running but day-to-day life too.
The landscape on this run is so beautiful. Can't beat the countryside in the Summertime! Hope the S&C is keeping you injury free =D
It's really nice when everything is green and the sun is shining 😊 It makes me very happy. Even though it can feel very hot at times, but I'd much prefer to have this sort of weather than cold/wet. Hope you're well 😊
All runners go through what you're feeling currently. I wonder about my running journey from time to time. As much as I like to run marathons in New York, Chicago and other places, I cannot afford it. I run the local races when I can and run to stay fit for free. I always enjoy your videos and thank you for taking the time making it.
I'm a bit disappointed in myself for feeling the way I do, but I know I will come back stronger. I still run consistently and I'm always going to run as long as I am healthy enough to do so. Races are so expensive 😞 I really have to pick and choose which ones I enter because I simply can't afford it. Thank you for watching as always and the lovely support. It means a lot to speak to nice people in the running community. Are you training for anything at the moment? Do you enjoy summer running? I know you struggled running when it was really cold, but if you had to choose, would you rather in the cold or warmth?
Thank you 🙏🏼 Goodluck to your Chicago Marathon too. Keep up the good work on your videos
@@shielavasquez7161 Thank you 😊
I love your honest videos and to be honest I feel like your experiences with running is so in sync with mine. The only difference is that I failed to finish my first attempt doing a Marathon whilst on the other hand you have succeeded crossing the finish line. I got as far as 20 miles and I was frozen. It was raining and windy that day in Lincolnshire so I had to ask my partner to come meet me. I couldn’t move anymore and when I got home it took me 4 hours to stop shivering. I think ever since then I have lost the love and spark with running. I’m still struggling to get back out there. Ps we can do this!
You did really well getting to 20 miles. It's a horrendously long distance to be running. Even just walking that distance in one go is huge, let alone trying to run it while being freezing cold. Sorry the marathon didn't work out for you, but there are many more you can run in the future. I understand how and why you feel the way you do though. I think if I've put in all the time and effort into training but didn't get the result I wanted I would feel really demotivated. Even having completed my first marathon I feel like the injuries prevented me from having a better time so I think that's another reason why I've lost motivation a bit. I really put in a lot of work to train but still ended up injured and it just didn't go so well for me. Mentally it has affected me a lot, which I'm still recovering from I think. Take some time off and allow yourself to have a break. Also give yourself some time to decide what you might want to do in terms of running. Maybe go for shorter distances instead? I find more joy running 10Ks and Half Marathons to be honest, but I also want to see where Marathons can take me. I just need to re-focus and stick to my goals. Hope you'll figure something out 😊
Thank you for your kind and inspiring words. I just need to give it another go later this year again. Find my lost love with the sport too
@@shielavasquez7161 I'm sure you will get there 😊 Best of luck!!
I kind of echo what another poster said about relying on discipline to get you through those moments where motivation isn’t there.
I’m the kind of person who has to have structure in their lives otherwise I will just allow the bad habits and laziness to sink in and so I have my routine and the set days for when I run or do workouts at the gym and do my Sunday long run religiously. It helps when I just don’t feel the desire and I remind myself that I have always felt better for coming back home afterwards.
I must say that it’s not always easy and at peak work times or at the times of the year when it’s grim and cold and wet and gloomy here in the UK i do struggle. And you’re right that if mentally you are off then physically you will be too.
I find that always having a target helps me maintain my routine. It’s frustrating when I don’t have events planned until ages away and the urge to take a break is quite strong but I just dig in and remind myself that for me it’s all about the routine and the process and that I always feel better for getting out there!
I agree. Kind of what I said in the video, that I have to rely on discipline but I've lost that a bit recently and I get annoyed at myself. So annoyed that I actually managed two Physio workouts this week, so I still have it in me somewhere 😊
Routine really helps me too, that's why the three runs a week fits into my schedule perfectly. And it still works very well, but trying to add these extra activities just seem to be a bit tough at the moment.
It definitely takes a lot of mental strength to go out running during winter, but when my mind was in the right place training for my first marathon, I was getting out there every run without missing any sessions. I just need to figure out what days of the week I can do the extra necessary bits.
Do you prefer winter or summer running?
I think part of the struggle is that the marathon feels like a long way away, but you're right, it's a process and needs to be a journey rather than just ticking off tasks. I think I need to learn to shift my mindset, which will probably help me a lot.
It’s natural for there to be ups and downs both with running motivation and mentally.
There’s not really a solution for it however, it’s important to just stay disciplined because that’s what separates you from others.
Personally I’m a massive quote guy and I usually come across one and use it when I’m feeling down or loss of running motivation.
For example.
“Discipline is doing something you hate doing but do it like you love it” - Mike Tyson.
What a lovely message! I like the bit about "because that's what separates you from others". I will remind myself of that 😊 That can be my mantra when I'm really struggling, so thank you.
Hope your running is going well.
Are you on Strava? I would love to stalk you 😂❤ kudos a day keeps gloominess away 😂 great job Yuenny :)
Haha....I'm not on Strava. Well, I have an account but I don't post on there. I only run around the same area where I live so it's very boring 😒
@@YuennyLam so what?!? :D me too :) but understand safety issue that sharing your location can make. Keep on running 😍
Good point 😁 I'll think about it. Keep on running too 💪🏻