Running can get boring after some time and runners are often on the lookout for new ways to motivate themselves. There is only so much weight one can lose through running and only so much improving on speed. Some gravitate towards other fitness routines and there are others who do other things like:
Run with friends/family
Take time out to accompany friends or family members who running for the first time. In motivating them to run, one re-motivates oneself. It will also be a reminder on how far you have come. Such initiatives build better relationships and brings good health to everyone.
Be a pacer
A pacer is an experienced runner who guides other runners to finish within the time limit. To become a pacer, a runner chooses a pace slower than his/her comfort level and foregoes personal aspirations to help others achieve theirs. It is altruistic and widely appreciated by fellow runners.
My recent experience of pacing at the Mumbai Marathon got me unprecedented applause that was worth more than all my medals. Training to run at a slower pace than usual is an experience and feels like learning to run yet again.
Pick a cause
Apart from running events organised to raise funds for specific causes — the Coimbatore Marathon, for example, is about cancer awareness — runners can raise money for a cause that they are passionate about. Major running events have exclusive registrations for runners opting to raise funds for registered charities. Those participants who ran for a cause in the New York Marathon raised over $40 million in 2018 for various charities. This gives the runner another dimension. It is no more about personal achievement. The cause takes centre-stage. Every donation brings additional motivation to see the distance through. Although still a nascent concept in India, runners in the recent Chennai Marathon raised over ₹27 lakhs to restore the city’s lakes.
Be a volunteer
Volunteers are the back-bone of marathons. It is practically impossible to organise an event of such magnitude without their support. Be it cheering for the runners, helping them with water, controlling traffic, or just guiding them through the finish areas, they provide extraordinary support. Volunteering takes a significant amount of energy and can sometimes be more tiring than running. Besides, there is nothing more motivating than watching people run. As Katherine Switzer once wrote, “If you are losing faith in human nature, go out and watch a marathon.”
Spread the good word
By writing and talking about running, one becomes an evangelist for running. The medium of broadcast is much wider and accessible, thanks to the Internet. Share your views, experiences and ideas and learn from those of others. It helps you explore many unknown facets about running and the positive changes that it brings to many lives. Every runner has a story and the stories of my fellow runners have inspired me to do more.
Running starts as a fitness activity and ends up as a way of life. It has enriched lives by improving not only physical health but also mental well being. There is a lot that one can do by just simply putting one foot in front of another and forging ahead.
The author is an ultra marathoner who has run in the Comrades, Two Oceans and the Berlin Marathon among others.
