10 Ways To Disable The Monotony Monster

photo courtesy of www.Greatist.com

​As long as habit and routine dictate

the pattern of living,

new dimensions of the soul

will not emerge.
​
​
​~Henry Van Dyke
​

Yep. The days when just putting two feet on the ground seems unlikely. The days when a 3 mile run is avoided because doing eight loads of laundry sounds more appealing.  The days when you'll explode if you see that same landmark one more time.  Your playlist is too repetitive.  You don't have the energy to break up another stroller fight.  Your body aches.  You flat-out just don't want to get in the car and drive to your starting destination.

Whatever the case may be, we have all been there.  Trust in that.  The repetitiveness of one foot after the other, over and over and over.  So, how do we spice things up and avoid becoming a victim to the monotony?  Here are a few ways worth trying: 

• Go buy yourself some new workout attire.  Old Navy often has some really great deals. And if you're in the Austin area, Academy is always a great option as well.  Feeling good often coincides with looking good, so who wouldn't want some new (sweat proof) threads to show off on the trails?
• In addition to clothes, new shoes are fun!  Not only is it sort of exhilarating to take your new shoes out for their premiere run, but according to Runner's World, we should be replacing them every 400 or so miles anyway.
• Map out a new running route.  Heck, our trusty (work-in-progress) site that you're currently using was built for just that reason.  And after you've tried out a route, be sure to let us know your thoughts!  Find our list of routes HERE.
• Put your Amazon Prime membership to good use and play some music straight from your phone via the Amazon Music app.  Don't have Amazon?  Try Spotify or Pandora.  All apps will create a recommended playlist for you based off the music you typically enjoy.  Or you can create one of your very own without having to purchase each song individually.
• Often find yourself running alone?  Bring a friend!  Are you always running with a friend?  Try a solo run.
• Change the route that you take to get to your starting point.  Whether you're traveling there via car or on foot, try and take the path less traveled by.
• Add in a tempo day, interval training, or even the dreaded fartlek.  Speed changes to a hum-drum run are going to improve your skills as a runner too, so that's a nice added bonus.
• Turn off your music altogether, or perhaps if you normally run with silence, try adding some beats.  
• Take a day off from running.  Try out yoga, circuit training, a spin class, swimming, etc. You may just remember why you like running so much. Or you may find something new that you enjoy and will want to work into your regular schedule.  Win. Win.
• Another little fun fact?  While running, more oxygen is fed to our brains, and endorphins are being released, so creativity is at it's highest.  Perhaps it's best to think up ideas on how to break the repetition while running?

What are some of your favorite ways to avoid getting stuck in a running funk?