TOTR: Keeping Running Exciting

By | September 17, 2018

I love Tuesdays on the Run. And I love having the “cheat sheet” of the topics early so I can get these written at the weekend. This week? Keeping Running Exciting

Linking up with: Erika at MCM Mama, Marcia at Marcia’s Healthy Slice, and Patty at No Guilt Life.

For me, I think the main way I keep running exciting is varying routes and locations. I’m lucky enough to call Central Park my “home” course, although lately I feel like I’ve been running as much along the East River. Slightly more shaded and definitely more of a breeze. But even running in Central Park all the time gets old. I need new scenery to distract me. To that end, last week I ran the Hudson River side of Manhattan and Randalls Island, in the middle of the Harlem River.

I really wish they’d finish the Greenway around Manhattan. That has been an issue for the Great Saunter as well as my personal version: the Great Manhattan Loop. While I don’t see myself running 33 miles any time soon/ever, it would be awesome to be able to run the circumference of Manhattan without dipping onto city streets. I thing an upcoming long run is going to be the west side from Battery Park to the Little Red Lighthouse because that is one of my favorite parts of Manhattan.

When I’m in the city it’s fairly easy to find a variety of routes that intrigue me — but when I’m at mom’s it’s harder. There’s either the South Nyack Trail, or Rockland Lake if I can get the car. Suburbia and I don’t get along well. I haven’t gotten into race cations in a big way, but do enjoy using running as a tool for exploring a new area.

I think avoiding boredom is part of what I enjoy about racing. Although I can happily lose myself in the miles in Central Park, there are some days like brutal summer mornings where it’s just easier to do so when the run is supported. Even if it’s a small crowd, something about the volunteers out there.

Although I don’t tend to mind running on the treadmill, I need some variety since X distance at Y pace is just a recipe for boredom. I think this is why I started to enjoy intervals once I was running 4+ miles on the treadmill. But I also think it’s why C25K is such a great tool. It’s not the whole time/distance at one so much as chunks.

Running is also a place where I get more girly than I do in normal life, so sometimes “cute” new clothes get me going especially on a dreary day.

And I won’t lie, sometimes if my head isn’t there for a run I’ll cross train or do something else. Even if it’s something I love 95% of the time and 100% more than any other prior gym exercise, I don’t love it at all times.

What other tips do you have?

16 thoughts on “TOTR: Keeping Running Exciting

  1. Liz Dexter

    Sometimes I don’t want to keep running exciting, I want a familiar route so I can just trot along and get x miles in. I do like, though, to run with a different person sometimes and do one of their routes, so I don’t know where I’m going. My friend Claire is the best for that, as she likes to go off-road so has all the nifty routes along rivers and through the funny bits of parks. So my tip is to find a new running pal or look on Strava etc for other people’s routes and try them out.

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      Yes. Not knowing where I’m going, ending can be key to sanity. Otherwise if I’m already not into it, I’m counting down the miles

      Reply
  2. Chocolaterunsjudy

    New routes (and clothes 😉 are so important! Some of the ones I enjoy here are a bit of a drive away & often I just don’t want to take the time for the drive, but when I do I’m happy I did!

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      Yes, there’s definitely the travel time trade off. Yesterday I ran super local (I’m less than two blocks from the East River) and could barely hit my step goal-but it was a better run than likely would have happened in Central Park.

      Reply
    1. cari Post author

      I’ve enjoyed running in new to me cities. Alas the work trip this year was 100+ degree Phoenix so I only explored the hotel’s gym

      Reply
  3. Marcia

    I love when you talk about where you run because it makes me think about running NYCM. CP is one of my all-time favorite running spots.

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      I realize I’m completely spoiled that my home course is so many’s destination. COlleague and I were just talking about how much fun it is to see the changing profile of runners in Central Park throughout the seasons — I love seeing all the visiting racers in the lead up to NYC Half (especially the old course) and Marathon

      Reply
  4. Wendy

    I agree with you–changing up my routes keeps it interesting! The change of seasons also make it interesting for me–I’m always observing new things.

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      Yes! Especially with some of Central Park’s monuments which summer leaves hide. It’s like a running game of hide & seek

      Reply
  5. Coco

    I was really getting bored with my running routes, but then Scooby came along, and he makes our runs almost too exciting. I’m looking forward to my biz trip to Chicago next week so I can do some running there.

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      It’s funny, I never used to be bothered by it but after summer weather I just want to be outside.

      Reply
  6. Montana @ Pretty Lil Mudder

    Varying routes is also how I keep things exciting. I guess anywhere can get boring if you run it enough times. But I’d love to run through Central Park. When I was last in NY I wasn’t a runner so I never have done that. I love to travel for racecations so that’s typically how I see new spots and run new cities. If I’m really in a rut, buying new running clothes can help cause then I get excited to wear the new clothes!

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      Funny where motivation strikes. I too wish I’d been a runner when I visited some cities in the past

      Reply

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