How to Stay Motivated When Running Gets Hard.
- nic7819
- Jun 1
- 4 min read
By Coach Nic Baxter | NBx Running Coach
I'll be honest, there are days when running feels amazing. When your legs are light, your breathing is easy and you finish feeling like you could go forever.
And then there are the other days.
The days when your alarm goes off and every part of you wants to stay in bed. You didn't sleep well or you had a late night. Or it's cold or too humid. This is when that first mile feels like the hardest thing you've ever done. When you wonder why on earth you signed up for this race, this plan, this goal.
Those days are completely normal. Every runner has them — from beginners to those of us who have run 60+ marathons. The difference between the runners who reach their goals and those who don't isn't talent or speed. It's what they do on the hard days.
1. Remember Your Why
When motivation disappears, go back to the reason you started. Not the race goal — deeper than that. Why do you run?
Is it to feel strong? To have time that's just yours? To show your kids what showing up looks like? To prove something to yourself?
Write it down somewhere you'll see it. On your phone lock screen. On a post-it by the door. On your training plan. When the hard days come — and they will — your why is what pulls you through.
2. Make the Deal With Yourself
On the days you really don't want to run, make yourself a deal. Just get dressed and get outside. That's it. You don't have to run far. You don't have to run fast. You just have to start.
Nine times out of ten, once you're out the door you'll keep going. And even if you don't — you still got outside. That counts.
The hardest part of any run is almost always the first five minutes or the first few miles. Get through those and the rest takes care of itself.
3. Break It Down
A long training run or a tough session can feel overwhelming when you look at it as a whole. So don't. Break it into pieces you can manage.
Don't think about the 16 miles. Think about the next 2. Don't think about the 10 hill repeats. Think about the next one.
This is exactly how I coach my athletes through tough sessions — and it's exactly how I've run through some of the hardest races of my life, from the streets of London and New York to the ice and winds of Antarctica. One small piece at a time.
4. Change Something Up
Sometimes lack of motivation is your body's way of telling you it needs something different. A new route. A different time of day. A running buddy. A playlist you've never run to before.
Routine is brilliant for building consistency — but monotony kills motivation. If every run looks the same, mix it up. Run somewhere you've never been. Try the trails. Join a group.
Small changes can reignite your love for running faster than anything else.
5. Track Your Progress
Motivation is often hard to find because we focus on how far we have to go rather than how far we've already come.
Look back at where you started. That first mile that left you breathless. The pace that felt impossible three months ago. The distance you never thought you'd manage.
Progress is happening — even when it doesn't feel like it. Tracking your training in TrainingPeaks or even a simple journal reminds you that every session, however small, is adding up.
6. Give Yourself Permission to Have a Bad Day
This one is important. Not every run is going to be good. Some runs are going to be genuinely awful. And that's okay.
A bad run is not a sign that you're failing. It's not a sign that you should quit. It's just a bad run. Tomorrow is a new day and a new opportunity to show up.
The runners who get the best results long term are not the ones who never struggle. They're the ones who struggle and show up anyway.
You Don't Have to Do This Alone
One of the most powerful motivational tools available to any runner is having a coach or a community in your corner. Someone who knows your goals, believes in your ability and keeps you accountable when your own motivation runs dry.
That's exactly what I'm here for.
Because on the hard days — having someone in your corner makes all the difference.
Coach Nic Baxter is an RRCA Level 2 Run Coach and ACE-Certified Personal Trainer based in Morristown, NJ. She helps women in their 30s, 40s and beyond run stronger, feel better and fall in love with every mile.
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