Running has surged in popularity in recent years. Yet it is only in the last 40 years that the sport has truly become mainstream. For a long time, marathons were reserved for athletic men eager to test themselves. Women did not earn the right to compete in Olympic events longer than 1,500 meters until 1984.

And yet….

Women are now more numerous in popular road races such as the 5K, 10K, and half marathon. On average, they are four years younger than men and represent 57% of runners. In other words, they are now the majority in a sport that was once closed to them. And women have only been officially allowed to stand on the start line of running events for the past 50 years!

Let’s dive into the history of women’s running!

In the 1970s, many doctors claimed that running could affect women’s fertility and even cause physical changes that would make them more masculine. Today, those statements sound absurd, to say the least.

It seems a few chapters of running history have been forgotten.

We all know the story of Pheidippides… You know, the messenger who, according to legend, died after running 40 km to deliver his message. His feat lives on today in the iconic marathon.

But did you know that women in ancient times had their own Olympic Games?

They were held in Olympia, two weeks after the men’s events.

That may sound surprising, since a woman’s role at the time was largely limited to being a wife and mother. And yet there really was a women’s event in the Olympic stadium. These were the Heraean Games, held in honor of the goddess Hera. The race covered one-sixth of the Olympic track, just 160 meters long…

Although the modern Olympic Games were founded in 1896, women had to wait until 1928 to compete in Olympic track and field. At the time, the 800 meters was the longest distance on the program, but the event caused an uproar. Exhausted after two laps of the track, just like the men, many runners lay down on the ground at the finish. That was enough for Olympic organizers to ban women from running farther than 800 meters, until the Rome Games in 1960!

It took until a 2007 decision for women to be allowed to compete in every Olympic sport, and for that rule to become mandatory. Since 1991, any new sport added to the Olympic Games has had to include women’s events.

The pioneer of women’s running

In 1967, Kathrine Switzer entered the Boston Marathon using only her initials. Even though women were banned, she became the first woman to officially run a marathon. She finished in around 4 hours and 20 minutes. During the race, the young runner was shoved by the event organizer, who tried to force her off the course! The photo then went around the world.

One year earlier, Roberta Gibb had run the marathon unofficially in 3:51. She is now recognized as the first woman to run the marathon, while Kathrine Switzer remains the first to complete it with an official entry.

After proving that women could run 42.195 km, Kathrine Switzer helped women gain official entry to the Boston Marathon in 1972. Then, in 1984, a women’s Olympic marathon was created.

American runner Joan Benoit won that first women’s marathon in Los Angeles.

Kathrine’s commitment led her to create the Avon International Running Circuit in 1972, a series of more than 400 women-only races across 27 countries.

Kathrine ran 39 marathons and even won the New York City Marathon in 1974.

She clearly left a lasting mark on the history of women’s running.

Women’s races around the world

Created to promote women’s road running, the Avon circuit had another goal as well, opening the Olympic marathon to women. To be included in the Olympic Games, the event had to bring together at least 25 countries represented by their Olympic Committees. So between 1978 and 1984, race organizer Kathrine Switzer and sponsor Avon worked to reach runners from as many nations as possible. Mission accomplished, the women’s marathon became an Olympic event in 1984!

Today, there are hundreds of women’s races held in around twenty cities across the world.

Nagoya Women’s Marathon, Japan

Since 1980, the city of Nagoya has hosted one of the earliest women-only marathons. Until 1982, the course was 20 km long and reserved for female athletes only. To attract more runners and grow its reputation, it is now open to women from around the world.

La Parisienne

France had to wait until 1997 to see its first women’s race, La Parisienne.

It is a three-day event built around women: sport, health, food, beauty, and well-being, with a 6.7 km race, a walk, and a yoga event.

Women are now well established in the world of sport and running, but there is still progress to be made, and the growth of women’s sport must continue. In 2018, women made up only 25% of participants in the Paris Marathon, while they represented 42% of runners in the New York City Marathon. Proof that cultural barriers to women’s running still remain…

L’article Women’s Running History, From Ban to Marathon Glory est apparu en premier sur RunMotion Running Coach.

Paul Waroquier, one of the founders of RunMotion, wrote the book L’Art de Gagner, where he breaks down the mental drivers behind winning, progress, and achieving our endurance sport dreams.

Excerpt from the chapter The Quest.

Every new season is a fresh start, the beginning of a new adventure.

To succeed with a new goal, or at least to give yourself the best possible chance of hitting it, you first need to go in search of four things:

The right energy, the right method, the right mindset, and finally the right goal.

Whether it is a major factor or a small detail, it is essential to take every parameter of a situation into account so you can analyze it, understand it, and ultimately master it. Over time, our motivation changes, and so do the sources we draw our energy from.

With training and with the years, our bodies evolve. The strengths we rely on shift too, which can strongly influence our style, and the strategy we choose on race day. How could you adapt to all these changes without evolving your training methods?

Early in a career, every young talent is ambitious and wants to shake up the established order. Who does not want their moment in the sun? And how many are willing to make every sacrifice to get there?

When you get closer to the end and you feel how temporary everything is, it is often pleasure and calm confidence that keep you moving forward. Every key race is lived to the fullest, every minute on the course carries its own flavor and intensity.

And what about goals? Starting out, reaching the top level, staying there, taking on one last challenge, passing it on to others. Trying to list them all would be pointless, because it is up to each person to find their own, the one that sparks enthusiasm and the hunger to push your limits again and again, in training and in competition.

Every new season is a fresh start. It is probably also the perfect time to ask yourself the right questions before you jump into the fight. Despite what people say, the path to victory is not always the hardest one, the problem is simply that there are so many others.

Every new season is a new beginning,
the start of a new adventure,
a new destiny to build.

L’article Start Your Season Strong: The Mindset and Plan That Drive Endurance Success est apparu en premier sur RunMotion Running Coach.

Heart coherence is a breathing practice that’s getting more and more popular to relax, reset your mind, and reconnect with your breath. It’s a powerful tool for stress management, so much so that it can really help you unwind before a race. It’s also a great way to shift gears after a draining day and find the motivation to get out for a run.

Heart coherence, what is it?

Heart coherence is a simple breathing exercise built around: 5 seconds of inhaling, 5 seconds of exhaling, for 5 minutes. That means each breathing cycle lasts 10 seconds, which equals 6 breaths per minute.

It’s often summed up with the 365 rule: 3 times a day, 6 breaths per minute, for 5 minutes.

It’s best done sitting on a chair with your back straight, or lying down. Heart coherence helps you become aware of your breathing and regulate stress. You inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth. Aim for belly breathing: your abdomen expands as you inhale and gently falls as you exhale.

How does heart coherence work?

Your body relies on the somatic nervous system (voluntary actions) and the autonomic nervous system (automatic regulation), which itself is split into two branches: the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems. The sympathetic system triggers the “fight or flight” response and ramps up heart rate and breathing. The parasympathetic system supports rest, recovery, and relaxation.

You need a balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems, and stress often throws that balance off. Inhaling tends to stimulate the sympathetic system, while exhaling supports the parasympathetic system. That’s why longer, controlled exhales are often recommended when you want to calm down.

Breathing in 10-second cycles matches a respiratory rate that resonates with key biological rhythms in the human body. This may help improve heart rate variability, a useful marker of overall health, training readiness, and recovery.

What are the benefits of heart coherence?

The effects can last longer or shorter depending on how often and how consistently you practice. People commonly notice improved heart rate variability and lower stress levels. There are also benefits for blood pressure and neurotransmitters, better regulation of inflammation-related issues, and sharper focus. In short, it’s good for your body, your heart, and your brain.

What about running?

For running, heart coherence can be especially useful at night to relax before sleep, the day before a race, or on race morning when nerves kick in. In just a few minutes, it helps you come back to yourself and feel more grounded. You can also use it to build better awareness of your breathing, because breath control is a key performance skill in endurance sports like running, trail running, and marathon training.

In practice, how do you count your breathing cycles?

You can use your watch, but ideally you can listen to a heart coherence video on YouTube or use a meditation app. With a bit of practice, you’ll rely on these tools less and less. Your breathing becomes deeper over time, and you can do it anywhere: at your desk, on public transport, in the locker room, or at home.

There are no contraindications, so when are you going to try it?

L’article Heart Coherence Breathing for Runners, Calm Stress and Boost HRV est apparu en premier sur RunMotion Running Coach.

The running world is packed with inspiring stories, but Steve Way’s is in a league of its own. How does someone overweight, who’s never played sports and smokes up to a pack a day, turn into a 2:15 marathon runner and earn a call-up to the England team? Who knows, you might be a hidden champion too, or the next person to fall in love with endurance running.

The turning point for Steve Way

At 33, Steve Way weighed over 100 kg. He had a stressful job and smoked up to 20 cigarettes a day, which left him coughing hard at night. His only connection to sport was watching football on TV, pizza slice in one hand and a beer in the other.

Steve Way finally decided to change something: “I didn’t have a goal in life. I needed to find something that could help me lose weight and stop smoking. I needed the opposite addiction, I needed a passion.” That passion became running.

Steve Way runs his first marathon in 3:07

In 2006, Steve Way signed up for the London Marathon and, after only three weeks of training, managed to run just over three hours. Not bad for a first attempt.

Then he put his trainers away and slipped back into his old habits for a little over a year.

He got a grip again and decided to train seriously. In seven months, Steve Way discovered talent he never knew he had. Suddenly, he was 100th at the London Marathon in 2:35:26, no small feat. His friends barely recognised him, running made him genuinely happy: “Now I’ve got the best of both worlds. I still enjoy a social life, even if I don’t go clubbing anymore, but I have passion and excitement in my life.”

Selected for Team England 8 years later…

It sounds easy, doesn’t it? But to get there, Steve Way had to make sacrifices. He left a very well-paid IT job with punishing hours for a less demanding role.

That allowed him to push his training volume up to 200 kilometres a week (about 125 miles): “I’m a bit selfish because training takes a lot of time. When I got married, I wasn’t the person I am now, but my wife is very understanding. She sees how happy it makes me, and the passion it brings to our relationship.”

In 2014, Steve Way even earned a spot on Team England for the Commonwealth Games, thanks to finishing as the third Brit (behind Mo Farah and Chris Thompson, seriously…) at the London Marathon, running 2:16. He placed 10th in the Commonwealth Games marathon and dropped his personal best to 2:15:16. That same year, he ran 100 km in 6:19:20, a new British record.

Steve Way was a great runner who had no idea what he was capable of. His rise is unreal, and this love for running completely transformed him. It’s never too late to start. If you want better health, more energy, and a real training goal, what are you waiting for? Lace up and run.

RunMotion Coach offers training plans to quit smoking or lose weight by running. Trust the digital coach by downloading the app. Then there’s only one thing left to do, go run.

L’article From 100kg Smoker to 2:15 Marathoner, Steve Way’s Incredible Comeback est apparu en premier sur RunMotion Running Coach.

Lots of us set New Year’s resolutions. One of the most popular is running. “This year I’m really getting back into it!”, “This year I’m running my first marathon”, “This year I’m dropping a few kilos”, etc. Here are practical tips to choose the right goal, stay consistent, and actually follow through.

Running resolutions, set a goal you can realistically reach

First, pick a goal that truly means something to you. It needs to be achievable, but still ambitious enough to light a fire and keep you motivated.

Try to make it measurable. For example, if you just want to enjoy running again, set a frequency goal, run 3 times per week, 10 times per month, or go for a Sunday morning run with the family. If your goal is weight loss, write down the target weight you want to reach.

A race goal for your resolutions?

Do you want to finish a race that matters to you, or chase a time goal, break 4 hours or 3 hours in the marathon, go sub-40 in the 10K? Choose the race or races you want to do, then sign up.

Once you’re registered, you can’t really back out That leaves less room for the classic “I’ll see if I’m ready”, which often turns training into guesswork.

Set a timeline that makes sense. Give yourself short and mid-term targets. Your first checkpoints should be a few weeks away, and your big motivating goal a few months out. Not in 2 years, that’s too far away, unless you plan intermediate milestones for the coming year.

Prepare properly

Once your goal is set, you need a training plan that fits. Sometimes motivation makes us overdo it, “I’m going to pile on the miles right away to start the year strong.” A better approach is to build up gradually and lay down solid foundations for endurance, performance, and injury prevention.

Assess your current fitness

If you’re returning to running after a long break, your body has lost some of its running-specific fitness. You may have gained a bit of weight too. It’s normal if your first strides feel heavy and your breathing is tough. Take your time and follow training that matches where you are right now.

Start with easy runs during the first few weeks. Easy aerobic endurance, running at a comfortable pace, helps stimulate your cardiovascular system and recondition your muscles for running. It also kick-starts your metabolism to get back to your healthy racing weight.

If it feels too hard, alternate running and walking, it’s just as effective. If you already have a running background, you can restart with a 30-minute easy run, then add 5 to 10 minutes to each session. Progressive overload is key.

Focus on how you feel. You can use a heart rate strap to check your heart rate, but don’t obsess over pace right away.

If you already feel fit at the start of the year

If you kept running well over the holidays, you can jump into a more demanding training block. Make sure you dress properly for cold-weather running, and start building toward your goal now.

Don’t wait until you’re exactly 12 weeks from race day to start a marathon training plan. The RunMotion Coach app gives you a tailored running program no matter how far out you are (even 5 months before). The plan evolves based on your feedback and your schedule.

Resolutions, build great habits for S&C

Runners don’t always love general strength and conditioning (S&C). Set a weekly target, for example, do core work twice a week. To make it a real routine, pick the days and the time. For example, Wednesday and Sunday morning.

You also need the right exercises, you can find them in the RunMotion Coach app.

Good luck with your New Year’s resolutions, whether you’re training for health, weight loss, or competition!

L’article New Year Running Resolutions That Stick, Smart Goals, Training, and S&C est apparu en premier sur RunMotion Running Coach.

Running is a sport packed with advantages. You can do it anywhere, anytime, all you have to do is lace up your running shoes and head out. Here are 5 great reasons to take up running.

Running is easy to get into

Running is one of the most accessible sports out there. All you need is a pair of running shoes and clothing that matches the weather. Everyone can find a pair of shoes suited to their running style and level. Even though price does not directly correlate with injury risk, if you are just starting out, the best move is to get advice in a specialty store.

Running is great for your health

Even running just once a week can improve your health. A study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine shows that it could reduce the risk of premature death by 27%. And that is true even with less than 50 minutes per week. Running lowers stress, improves sleep (unless you run too late), and supports weight loss.

Running injuries are often linked to an unsuitable lifestyle, or for beginners, to the wrong gear choice.

Running builds self-confidence

Whatever your level, you set goals. Just starting out? Chances are you will want to run for 30 minutes without stopping. Then you might feel like signing up for races, a 10K, a half marathon, and why not a marathon?

What matters most is choosing challenges that mean something to you, ambitious enough to keep you motivated, but not so big that you end up discouraged. Take it step by step. So many runners surprise themselves and achieve things they would have thought impossible just a few months earlier.

Running is an invitation to explore

Running lets you cover more ground than walking, and your senses are often even sharper. It helps you rediscover your favorite city from a new angle and feel the energy of a place more intensely. That is probably thanks to the endorphin release that creates a real sense of well-being.

Run solo or with others

Do you need a friend to push you? Or, on the contrary, do you run to clear your head after a long day at work? Depending on your mood and what you feel like, you can choose the style of training that fits you best. 59% of runners train mostly alone, but may share 1 or 2 runs each week with friends or family. Going for a run with colleagues is also a great way to break the ice, and running together strengthens bonds.

If you want to improve your running, the RunMotion Coach app helps you level up whatever your current fitness, with a training plan and personalized coaching tips. You can choose a wellness goal or a performance and race goal, a smart way to prepare for your next endurance challenge.

L’article 5 Powerful Reasons to Start Running Today and Boost Your Endurance est apparu en premier sur RunMotion Running Coach.

“Before I turned 78, the last time I’d run was back in high school, and I was honestly terrible,” Deirdre admits. So what could possibly push this grandmother to lace up her shoes? When she was 77, her doctor diagnosed her with osteoporosis, a weakening of the bones. But medication, injections, and even yoga didn’t improve things.

Starting running to boost your health

One of her sons moved back in with her in a neighborhood of Johannesburg. He went out for a run three times a week, and Deirdre started tagging along. “At first, I’d run three strides, then I’d stop to walk three steps.”

It was the beginning of a rebirth for her, South African by adoption. “My blood moves faster through my veins, I can feel every muscle. I never imagined I had so many. I feel alive, I have so much more energy.” Another of her secrets is a strict routine, no salt, no sugar, plus training every morning at 5 a.m. to run in the cool air. No afternoon naps either, because she teaches piano at a high school in the north of the city.

Running a 2:05 half marathon at… 85

Little by little, she got hooked on racing. So much so that in 2016 she lined up for no fewer than 65 events, on distances all the way up to the half marathon. Each start line became another chance to motivate others to get moving and chase their own fitness goals.

In May 2017, she was invited to the shores of Lake Geneva to race the Geneva Half Marathon. She delivered a new feat, running 2:05:13 at the age of 85, setting a new world record for the 85+ category.

She has no intention of stopping now. “I can imagine a life without running. But it would feel like a slow death. I’ll keep running for as long as I can. Even on one leg, I’m sure I could do it!”

This powerhouse grandma is pure inspiration. Sport is the best ally for your health, and osteoporosis, like many conditions, is often linked to a long period of inactivity. So it’s no surprise that a simple walk-run approach, then running consistently, helped this South African rediscover her energy and endurance. Hats off, Madam!

L’article She Started Running at 78 and Broke a Half Marathon World Record at 85 est apparu en premier sur RunMotion Running Coach.

If you’re a runner, you’ve lived this moment. You don’t feel like going for a run. Then somehow you drag yourself out the door. And when you get back home, it’s, “Of course I did the right thing. That felt amazing!” Endorphins, sometimes called endomorphins, have already kicked in, their job is simple: create pleasure.

What are endorphins?

Endorphins are the pleasure hormone. They make us feel good and can sometimes dial down pain. Sometimes enough to push us beyond our usual limits in training or racing.

They’re a natural painkiller, similar to morphine in the way they act. They’re produced in the pituitary gland and the hypothalamus, two glands that act on the brain in an area that receives opioids.

The effect of endorphins is twofold. They’re both numbing and mood-lifting. That means you feel less pain during endurance training or competition, and you get that deep sense of well-being. It’s often what hits you when you cross a marathon finish line, for example.

Runners also notice that a run helps you decompress. Endorphins have an anti-anxiety effect and tend to flush out stress.

How long does it take to produce endorphins?

It’s generally accepted that you need to run for at least around 30 minutes to produce enough endorphins to actually feel them. Increase duration and intensity and the sensation ramps up even more. Ideally, doing interval training helps maximize endorphin release. A simple home recipe: run a hill session of 12×20 seconds hard, then recover by jogging back down to the start. You’ll get a big endorphin hit in very little time.

Endorphin levels stay elevated for 30 minutes to 1 hour after the effort.

Is running the best sport for producing endorphins?

Endurance sports like cycling, swimming, cross-country skiing, ski mountaineering (ski touring), or Nordic walking all help you produce endorphins. In general, you need at least about 30 minutes of continuous effort, or a bout of intervals.

There isn’t a comparative study between sports to determine whether one triggers more endorphin secretion than another.

Be careful not to overdo it

Because the first effect of endorphins is pain reduction, they can mask muscle, tendon, or bone injuries that may flare up hard once you’re at rest. If you’ve been injured recently, be careful not to get carried away by the runner’s high. Stay clear-eyed about what your body can handle.

Beyond that, a form of addiction can develop, bigorexia. You start needing your daily dose to feel good, and that’s where the vicious cycle begins. You train more, even with pain, partially masked by endorphins and dopamine. Over time, it can lead to chronic pain and deep fatigue, plus a drop in performance.

So stay reasonable and pay attention if your ramped-up training starts affecting your personal or professional life. Running is part of your balance, keep that balance steady with enough activity to feel good, but not so much that it breaks you down.

Smart endurance training also needs variety, not just big weekly mileage.

L’article Runner’s High Explained, How Endorphins Boost Performance and Motivation est apparu en premier sur RunMotion Running Coach.

Scientific studies are pretty convincing, but…

A lot of research shows a performance boost in running of around 2 to 5%. One study even puts the improvement at 15%… Music can help you push deeper into the effort, while lowering perceived exertion and reducing the sensation of pain.

That said, most studies are done on treadmills in lab settings, not in real race conditions. And music mainly works through motivation. In a confined space, boredom and mental fatigue show up far sooner than they do outdoors.

Music delays mental fatigue over long distances

If there is one event where music can truly help, it is the marathon, or long-distance running in general. It helps keep motivation steadier throughout the race and pushes back the moment when you start to feel mentally drained.

There is no “miracle playlist”, but listening to your favorite tracks tends to work better than a playlist someone else forces on you.

Still, pay close attention to your body so you do not go out too hard and burn your matches early. For that reason, some marathoners only use music in the second half of the race.

Do elite runners listen to music while running?

No study has shown a performance improvement for elite runners, largely because they already know how to stay motivated and focused from start to finish. On the other hand, before the effort, music helps some athletes get into the zone and arrive at the start line feeling fully fired up.

For example, Teddy Riner uses it to get motivated before his fights. Many athletes wear earbuds or headphones during their warm-up and in the call room. In that sense, music works like a mental training technique.

In training, music can help you squeeze out one more rep, or break the monotony of an easy run. Listening after your workout may also help you relax more, which can improve recovery.

In short, running with music can give you an extra push and help you make it to the end of a hard effort. The performance effect may be close to zero for runners who rely on other motivation tools, while runners who tend to feel boredom or mental fatigue will often feel a small but real boost.

Looking for earbuds to stay motivated with your favorite songs? Check out our guide to buying wired or wireless running headphones.

L’article Does Running with Music Really Make You Faster? What Science Says est apparu en premier sur RunMotion Running Coach.

By winning two of the most iconic ultra trail races in the United States, Western States 100 and Hardrock 100, just three weeks apart, Courtney Dauwalter proves once again that she is one of the greatest ultrarunners in history. Let’s take a closer look at the journey of this extraordinary athlete who keeps reaching the very top of the sport. Her unconventional path shows that durability and mental toughness are the two biggest weapons you need to perform at the highest level in ultra endurance running.

Courtney Dauwalter’s journey

Courtney Dauwalter grew up in Minnesota, USA. As a kid she played a lot of sports, including cross-country skiing at a solid level. In college, she stepped away from training and chose to focus on her studies. She became a biology teacher. It wasn’t until 2011, at age 26, that she decided to get back into sport to stay fit and lose a bit of weight.

That’s when she started running, first on the road. Very quickly, the mysterious world of long-distance endurance captivated her. She signed up for a 50K near San Antonio. That race made something click, she realized she genuinely loved running for hours. So she kept going, gradually trading pavement for trails and moving deeper into ultra trail running, with longer and longer distances.

Often near the front in most races she entered, she still flew under the radar until 2016. That year she raced Run Rabbit Run, a famous 100-miler in the US. She won it with a jaw-dropping performance, finishing more than 75 minutes ahead of the second woman…

Everything changed for Courtney Dauwalter. Over the next year, she steadily moved toward going pro, leaving her teaching job to become a full-time ultra trail runner with Team Salomon.

An ultra trail runner fueled by passion!

Year after year, Courtney Dauwalter keeps delivering bigger and bigger results. She holds multiple women’s course records on major international ultra races and became one of the first to truly go head-to-head with elite men. She has won races overall and led from start to finish, like at Madeira Ultra Trail in 2019, or at the Moab 240 in 2017, a trail race of over 380 km through the Utah desert, where she finished more than 10 hours ahead of second place.

Courtney Dauwalter has proven it can be done, and she’s a powerful inspiration for women runners worldwide. For example, she placed 4^th overall at the Diagonale des Fous on Réunion Island in 2022 on her first attempt. She also turned heads at the UTMB® in 2021, finishing 7^th overall.

She races a lot and lines up for many events every year. And yes, in case you’re wondering, she performs in almost all of them. It’s even more impressive when you consider that a well-prepared amateur typically needs around a month to recover from this kind of ultra endurance effort.

In the same league as Kilian Jornet, Courtney Dauwalter is basically an ultra-human, the longer it gets, the more she seems to enjoy it. Which sounds crazy when you know the pain and suffering these efforts demand. She says she retreats into her mental “pain cave” when moving forward becomes truly difficult. She loves the challenge and, more than anything, she runs with her head rather than her legs (even though strong legs definitely help!).

In fact, along with Kilian Jornet, she’s the only athlete to win the four most famous ultra trail races in the world (UTMB, Diagonale des Fous, Western States 100, and Hardrock 100). She also holds the women’s record at three of them. The fourth record next?

Her unique training approach

A gifted endurance athlete, she trains alone and relies heavily on feel. She knows how to listen to her body and prefers to adjust her training day by day. Her athletic background and experience allow her to do it brilliantly. She’s one of the only, if not the only, pro ultrarunner who doesn’t build her training around sports science and coaches. Of course, she piled up years of knowledge before being able to train effectively this way.

Above all, Courtney Dauwalter is also known for being down-to-earth and approachable, a true trail running fan who races in basketball shorts. She explains that ultra trail running isn’t only about performance for her, she genuinely has a blast out there. And she does it without obsessing over food or counting every calorie.

Now, if you also want to (try to) be a bit more like Courtney, we’d recommend starting with a structured training plan before switching fully to “by feel.” With the RunMotion Coach app, you can get a personalized training plan from trail running to ultra trail. It adapts to your availability, your level, your perceived effort, your goals, and your training terrain. Kind of like Courtney Dauwalter’s approach in the end, just with a bit more guidance!

L’article Courtney Dauwalter, Ultra Trail Queen, Her Story, Mindset, and Training Secrets est apparu en premier sur RunMotion Running Coach.

1 – Set yourself goals

George Orwell once said: “Wisdom is having dreams big enough not to lose sight of them while pursuing them.” Everyone has their own reasons for running. Whether it’s to prove something to yourself, to feel good, or to improve your health, having a clear goal is essential. Your goal might be running 30 minutes without stopping, taking better care of yourself, finishing a race, or even beating your personal best. The more specific and visual your goal is, the easier it becomes to find the motivation to lace up and go for a run.

2 – Give every workout a purpose

Mixing up your training is a must. If you always do the same easy run at the same pace, it becomes way too easy to tell yourself it’s “no big deal” to skip a few sessions in a row. Every workout should have a clear purpose, whether that’s recovery, stress relief, building endurance, improving speed, working on running form, or burning fat. That’s why a training plan tailored to your experience level and performance goals is key to staying engaged and progressing.

3 – Build a routine

They say it takes about three weeks to build a positive routine. That means if you set yourself the goal of running three times a week and you stick to it for three weeks in a row, your body and mind start to treat it like a normal habit. From there, it becomes much easier to keep it going long term. Just make sure your starting goal is realistic, so you don’t burn out or get discouraged right away.

4 – Get motivated with a friend

Even if you’re not at the same level, bringing a friend or someone close to you into the mix can be a huge help. Signing up for a race together or starting a session at the same time makes it easier to push each other when one of you starts to lose motivation. You talk, share how it felt before and after the run or workout, encourage each other and, most importantly, you enjoy it together. That social energy can genuinely elevate the whole running experience.

5 – Eat healthy

To keep your energy levels high, which has a big impact on motivation, it’s crucial to eat a healthy, balanced diet. Avoid going overboard on sugar, which can cause blood sugar spikes followed by energy crashes, fatigue, and a serious motivation dip. Choose fresh fruits and vegetables over ultra-processed foods loaded with saturated fats and fast sugars. Also make sure you’re getting enough carbs and protein to support your training and recovery.

6 – Choose the right RunMotion Coach digital coach for you

With the RunMotion Coach app, you can pick a digital coach who keeps you motivated with encouragement and personalized advice. Whether you prefer a strict coach, a more philosophical coach, or an upbeat positive coach, you’re sure to find the one that fits your personality and keeps you motivated day after day. Personalized training plans are free in the app, and the motivational digital coach feature starts at €5.00 per month. And it works, 88% of subscribers have reached their goals.

How do you keep your motivation over time?

Staying motivated over time can be challenging, but it’s essential if you want to improve your performance and truly enjoy running. Here are a few strategies to keep that momentum going:

Revisit your goals regularly : It’s important to review and, if needed, adjust your goals. What mattered at the start can change over time. Setting new challenges can reignite your excitement and your drive to run.

Celebrate small wins : Every step counts, and acknowledging your progress, big or small, is a powerful way to stay confident and motivated. Whether it’s a new personal record or simply the pride of getting out there despite bad weather, those little victories deserve to be celebrated.

Create a motivating environment : Surround yourself with positive inputs. Follow inspiring runners on social media, read articles about the benefits of running, or listen to endurance training podcasts to fuel your motivation. Setting up a pleasant space where you prep for your runs, with gear you genuinely like, can also make a big difference.

Listen to your body : Accepting that some days feel harder than others is key. Energy and motivation naturally fluctuate. If you need rest, take it without guilt. That’s not quitting, it’s smart recovery so you can come back stronger.

These are the key tips to get motivated for running and to stay that way. Expect it not to be easy all the time, that’s exactly what makes the journey so rewarding. Running brings a ton of physical and mental benefits.

One last tip, if one day it feels truly impossible to get off the couch, get up anyway, put on your running kit, and you’ll see you’ll only want one thing: to go for a run.

Photo credit: Pict’Your Company

L’article How to Stay Motivated to Run, 6 Proven Tips for Training Consistency est apparu en premier sur RunMotion Running Coach.

If you want to structure your training and improve your running performance, nothing beats setting clear goals. If you only tell yourself, “I want to run regularly”, chances are you will struggle to stay motivated when it is time to lace up. The best approach is to set your running goal using the SMART method. Let’s break down what it means and how to define a goal that truly fits you.

Define your goal with the SMART method

SMART is an acronym for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound. In other words, “smart” goals are simply goals designed to be… smart. It is often translated as Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-defined. Still, “Relevant” is the key idea here, because relevant does not really mean realistic, it means meaningful for you.

Specific

The more specific your goal is, the easier it becomes to picture your progress. If you say, “I want to get better at running”, ask yourself instead, “Do I want to run for longer?” or “Do I want to complete that loop in 30 minutes?”

Measurable

Runners are lucky because it is very easy to measure time, with a watch or a phone timer, and distance, with a GPS watch or a GPS tracking app.

For beginners, one goal available in the RunMotion Coach app is “Run 30 minutes without stopping”. The training plan includes sessions that alternate walking and running. If you want to run longer, set a measurable goal like running 30 minutes or 1 hour continuously.

Achievable

A goal that is too easy is not very motivating. On the other hand, a goal that is extremely ambitious can feel discouraging if the gap looks huge. If you run 10K in 50 minutes, it is reasonable to aim for under 2 hours for your first half marathon. But if you tell yourself you will do it in 1:40, that is probably not realistic right now. It is better to target sub-2 first, then in 2 to 3 years, 1:40 might become achievable thanks to your endurance gains, smarter training, and consistent progress.

Relevant

Running the UTMB (Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc, 170 km) might make perfect sense for your coworker who loves the mountains, but it might not excite you at all. Maybe what you really want is to race the 10K in the town where you grew up. In that case, go for it and train for it. Relevance matters because it is what keeps your motivation high, both on race day and throughout the training block.

Time-Bound

If you tell yourself, “One day I’ll run a marathon”, it is much better to choose a timeframe. Is it for next year, or for the year you turn 40? That way you can build step by step, start with a 10K, then a half marathon, then your first marathon. If you run for weight loss, when do you want to lose 2 kilograms, in 2 months?

A race goal in running

Road races and running events are so popular partly because they make it easy to set SMART goals. For example, racing the Paris Half Marathon on the first weekend of March gives you a goal that is:

• specific, it is that race and not just “a half marathon”
• measurable, the distance and your official finish time are recorded
• achievable, say you want to run 1:30 (and you have already run 1:32)
• relevant, you can do it, plus you live in Paris and the course is basically on your doorstep
• time-bound, it is on the first weekend of March, and you have 3 months to prepare

Examples of running goals for beginners and experienced runners

Here are a few goal ideas to fine-tune with the SMART method above, depending on what you want and your current experience level.

• Run 30 minutes without stopping
• Run for weight loss and improve your nutrition
• Run 4 times per week
• Run 20 km per week
• Race my first 10K
• Run a sub-40 minute 10K in a race
• Finish 5 races this year
• Do a 30 km trail run this summer on vacation

How to prepare for your running goals

Once you have defined your goals, all that is left is to train for them and track your progress. In the RunMotion Coach app, you get a personalized training plan based on your level and your objectives, whether that is racing, weight loss, overall fitness, and more, plus tailored coaching tips based on your runner profile.

The app also connects with Strava and many GPS watches like Garmin, which makes it easy to monitor your training load and endurance progress.

Have you already set your short-term and mid-term SMART goals? Enjoy the build-up, and good luck with your next endurance challenges.

L’article Set SMART Running Goals and Boost Your Endurance Training est apparu en premier sur RunMotion Running Coach.