1. Develop Your Own Drive
The drive to keep running when your body is telling you to stop must come from within. No matter how important winning the race is to you, if you do not have some inner drive based on more than a trophy on the wall or bragging rights at the club, then you will find a way to drop out. Whether you are training for a marathon or just getting started on a daily running regimen, it's the inner drive that greases your joints, not the power shakes and not your legs.
2. Stay Healthy
Avoid injuries at all costs. Warm up every time you run and take time to cool down before you hit the shower. Stretch all the time; even when you're not running. Cross train by playing other sports that work your upper body and your core. Work with free weights to tone your muscles. By doing all the right things when you are not running, you can add to the odds that you won't hurt something vital to your sport. It is difficult to stay motivated to go that extra five miles when your shins are burning. It's really hard to keep a positive attitude when your back aches. Take care of your equipment and it will pay off in the level of drive you can maintain.
3. Set Goals for Running
Set personal goals. Race against yourself. Make the goals realistic, while pushing yourself a little further each time. You will feel a sense of completion and elation when you reach a goal. It's like a reward. Write down your goals and look at the results when you need to get a little motivated. Remember how good it felt running to that mile-marker in your last run. Keep the goals to yourself if you must, because you are the only one who counts.
4. Hook up
Get pumped up for running by hanging out with other runners. Find a running buddy who will get you going on days when you don't see the use. You can return the favor on your good days. Visit your local running store and trade stories with the other runners who work and shop there. Enter races even if they may not be in your league or if they are more difficult than you are accustomed to. You will meet other runners and you can draw on their drive to boost your own.
5. Give Yourself a Prize
Reward yourself when you complete a goal or when you've run a race to the finish. Buy a new stopwatch or splurge on those high-end running shoes that you've been eyeing. If you have a special treat waiting at the end of a training session or period of time, then it can add to the additional motivation you need to push through the obstacles that hold you back.
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