Tips and Fresh ideas to reinvigorate your running program!
By Dean Karnazes
Getting motivated can be difficult, especially when you’re not motivated. If you’re emerging from winter hibernation feeling overstuffed and lethargic, finding the inner motivation to restart your running and fitness regime can be a challenge even for seasoned athletes (especially for seasoned athletes!). I know the feeling, cause I’ve been there myself. Thankfully I’ve learned a few things that have helped reignite the internal fire, and perhaps they can do the same for you.
Start from the ground up. Running footwear has taken, excuse the pun, huge strides forward over the past couple of years. Almost every running shoe manufacturer has introduced new models with technologically advanced materials and designs that are game changers when it comes to comfort, cushioning, efficiency, and weight. Visit a local running specialty store and work with a knowledgeable staff member to find a new pair of shoes that are right for you. They won’t be inexpensive, but that will be part of the motivation to use them!
Then, invest in some new running apparel. Just as footwear has advanced, so have the materials used in running gear. Hammer Nutrition has upped the game with a new line of premium technical apparel from the Italian sports brand Bergamo. The fit, comfort, and colorways are designed to inspire and energize, and they do just that!
With your new shoes and upgraded outfit, now comes the boldest part of the revival: choosing a new challenge, a B-hag (big, hairy, audacious goal). For me personally, this is a race that goes beyond anything I’ve done before. For you, it could be running your first 10K, half marathon, marathon, or ultramarathon. What matters most in selecting this challenge is that it is something that goes beyond your previous limits, something that will make you feel proud and fulfilled when you accomplish it.
When selecting this new challenge, I often reflect on a line from Report to Greco, a book by one of my favorite authors, Nikos Kazantzakis. In this story, a young Kazantzakis asks his Cretan grandfather for advice: “Reach for what you can, my child,” he advises. Nikos is unsatisfied with this answer and asks for something more, to which his grandfather thunders, “Reach for what you cannot!”
In 2024 I’ve set my sights on the Olympus Marathon. While the distance is something I’ve covered many times, the Olympus Marathon has 11,000 ft of climbing on technically demanding terrain with notoriously unpredictable weather. It’s everything you’d expect from the birthplace of Zeus!
The final part of the running reinvigoration strategy is to upgrade your nutritional program. If you’ve been using gels to fuel your running, it’s time to switch to a science-backed product that is both effective and delicious! Hammer Gels come in 12 mouthwatering flavors and are formulated to provide lasting energy while avoiding blood sugar crashes. Because of the variety of flavors, the tastes never get old. Personally, Huckleberry is hard to beat. But experiment and find which flavors you prefer the most. Fueling has never been so fun!
Best wishes on your running journey in 2024. May your reach for what you cannot…
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Dean Karnazes is an ultramarathoner and Hammer Nutrition global athlete. He is a NY Times bestselling author and recipient of the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition Lifetime Achievement Award. Learn more about Dean at: Dean Karnazes Keeps Hammering
