A Running Habit

Running for me is a habit: one that is key to how well I function, how effective I am in the world, and the quality of my relationships.

It is a habit that has been formed over twenty-five years: from a twelve-year old jogging up and down his street in the picturesque Highland village of Carr-bridge, to a thirty-seven year old running a 2.47 marathon in Edinburgh in 2024.

This series of blog posts looks at the benefits of building a running habit, before exploring how to build your own running habit.

Phone Habits

I’ve been trying to cut down the amount of time I spend on my phone recently. I realise that isn’t the most exciting opening to a blog post, but in the modern world with its endless distraction, I’m confident many other readers will share this intention to spend less time distracted by our phones.

I’m pretty militant in my approach to the phone war: I don’t have many apps on it and I have turned off all notifications. I like to think I’m a pretty disciplined person, but I seem to be losing the battle against the pesky technology. I find myself sucked in constantly, wasting time scrolling and staring vacantly at it.

There is a reason why this phone habit is so seductive: it is so easy and requires no effort whatsoever. It is there, right in our pocket, promising an instant and gratifying removal from whatever emotions or activity we might be experiencing

Running, however, does not provide such an instant dopamine hit. Instead, it is effortful, it requires will-power and proactive steps to do the activity. 

Can we make a running habit as simple as a phone habit?

Atomic Habits

James Clear is the author of the phenomenally successful ‘Atomic Habits’. In his book he argues that eliminating as much effort as possible is vital to making a habit part of your life. “It’s crucial to make your habits so easy that you’ll do them even when you don’t feel like it,” says Clear. He goes further, writing:

“”Whenever you want to change your behaviour, you can simply ask yourself: How can I make it obvious? How can I make it attractive? How can I make it easy? How can I make it satisfying?”

So, how can we apply that mentality to running?

Have a schedule

The first step in this philosophy is to schedule in your run for the next day. Too often this is vague, and I know how often I have said to myself, or others:

“I’ll go for a run at some point tomorrow”

“I’ll fit in my run later”

“I’ll pop out when there is a break in my work.”

The lack of specificity here means there is no accountability and no plan. Life, inevitably (or endlessly phone scrolling) gets in the way. The clock ticks by and with it, so does the opportunity to run.

Everyone has a unique set of circumstances and life-pressures, so it is important that any running schedule you set fits in with you and your preferences. Some people like a run first thing, others prefer the evening.

What is important, however, is the clarity of the intention:

“I will go for a run at 11 o’clock tomorrow morning.”

“Before lunch, I will go out for thirty minutes to do my run.”

“I will do my run in the evening, at eight o’clock, once I have put the kids to bed.”

When the allocated time comes for a run, you don’t let things get in the way, you don’t make excuses – you follow through with the intention.

You can also map out this further: planning out what days you will run during the week, and even going as far as creating a six-week schedule. 

You can then help with the act of making running easy, by simplifying the process of getting out the door.

 Set up your kit

 One of the things that I love about running is the fact it is so simple to get going. To help that mentality of getting out the door at your allocated time, make sure you have everything to hand to quickly transfer into running mode.

By having your kit and shoes ready for action, you reduce the opportunity for procrastination, and within seconds, Clark Kent into Superman style, you fly out the door.

Once you are out for your run, it is important to try to sustain this ‘easy’ philosophy. The first blog in this series was about making sure you run slow and easy, to help you see the reward and the enjoyment in running.

Design don’t consume

I’ll finish this post with another James Clear quotation that I find really helpful: “Be the designer of your world and not merely the consumer of it.”

When I am spending lots of time on my phone, I am a consumer: merely taking in useless content and avoiding the world around me. When I make a schedule to run, set out the kit so it is accessible, and follow through with the running intentions, I am designing and shaping my world.

I’m fairly sure most readers would want to be architects in their own lives: driving it forward, taking positive steps, rather than consuming the endless content that surrounds us. 

So, if you want to design your life and build your running habit, make it easy to go for a run today.

Thank you for reading.

Read: ‘The Good Habit Workbook’ by Freya Stephens.

Listen: Tim Ferris Podcast: ‘Mastering Habits with James Clear’.