If you have been running for some time, there is a chance that you may be getting quite sick and tired of your usual running route and training, especially if it happens to be the same monotonous routes you are running – day in and day out.

So then, here are some tips that you can use to shake up your running routine, add some spice into your running, and possibly re-ignite your passion for running at the same time.

1) Train For A Short Race

Instead of the standard distances like the Half Marathon or the Marathon, why not enter a very short race, such as the mile, and train specifically for that? Surely this will inject something new and fresh into your training.

If you are looking for a mile race to enter, the global Bloomberg Square Mile Relay has a leg in Singapore taking place around October every year.

2) Enter A Relay

Instead of running by yourself, why not do a relay and run with friends? The focus of relays are totally different to individual races, whereby camaraderie and comradeship are more important than setting a personal best time and running as fast as you possibly can.

3) Run With A Newbie

Try heading out for a run with someone who is just getting into running – be it a friend, a family member or a colleague. If you are getting stuck in a rut with your running, talking to someone about your knowledge of the sport and your interest in running, may be a way to re-ignite your passion again.

4) Change Your Routes

And if you are used to taking a left turn out of your house, why not try taking a right turn and shaking up your running route a bit? Sometimes seeing the scenery from a new perspective may help you to inject that little bit of spice into your running again.

5) Rest

If you can’t stand the idea of putting on your running shoes and going out for a run again, why not take a week off running completely? As they say, absence makes the heart grow fonder and taking time off may lead you to finding your passion and desire to run again.

6) Choose a weird race distance

If you are tired of the usual running races – the 5km, 10km, 21.1km and 42.195km events, why not choose a strange distance? There are a few of those in Singapore. For instance, the Straits Times Run does an 18.45km route every year and the Race Against Cancer offers a 15km event, and this may be what you need to add a new kick into your running.

7) Run A Race Overseas

It may be seeing the same scenery day in and day out, that is causing you to grow tired of your running regime, so why not try an overseas run? That may be the catalyst that you need, to rediscover your passion for running again.

8) Run Completely Free

Try to leave your watch or tracker at home and simply run, totally free, for as far as you want or for as long as you want, if you feel like you are stuck in a rut and find yourself chasing numbers and personal records all the time. This may feel strange at first but it can give you an incredibly free feeling – just like how people used to run in the days before technology took over our lives.

9) Buy Expensive Gear

Treating yourself to some expensive running gear could be the kicker that you need to take charge of your running – by spending money on a high end GPS watch, that latest pair of shoes you have been eyeing or a newfangled headlamp, the hole that you’ve just created in your pocket may be enough to get you to love running again.

10) Join A Run Club

Finding a running club with people who share your passion in running may be just what you need to kick-start your interest for the sport again. Many gyms and running stores have their own running clubs and regular group runs. With the sheer number of running clubs in Singapore these days, there should be one that fits into your weekly schedule.

11) Get A Coach

By getting a coach, you may find yourself finally having a breakthrough in your running, if you find that you haven’t been improving.

I can recommend the heart-rate training programme, Coached, for those who may currently be in the market for a good running coach for this New Year.

12) Run Trails

If pounding the pavement during training is getting boring and repetitive, why not head out to the trails to revitalise your running? With the frequent twists and turns, elevation changes and constant obstacles that the trails offer, this might be just what you need to inject a new breath of life into your running.

Conclusion

Whether you have been running for a short while or for many years, there are always those moments when you simply do not feel like running at all. As runners, we’ve all been through that.

So I hope that these pointers that I’ve shared here, can helped you to break out of a running rut or the monotony that you’ve been in, and supercharge your running routine and passion for the sport.