Think back. What was your favourite run?

It’s probably when you were running with others. It may have been a race, a club run or an easy run with friends that happened to become your favourite. Unfortunately, most of the time we have to run solo. Our friends have other things to do, running club isn’t until Thursday and we’re in the middle of a training cycle so the next race is a long way off. 

These are the times where we’ll use any excuse under the sun to not bother going for that solo run, often sub-consciously. 

So what tips and tricks can we use to ensure we go out on our own and enjoy the run?

Method #1: Find New Places

Use solo runs to find new places. There may be a path you’ve always wanted to explore, or a village nearby you have maybe considered running to. These runs are the perfect way to get some good miles in, take things nice and easy and ensure you enjoy the new scenery. 

Remember - if you travel a little further afield to do some exploring, it is probably wise to do an “out and back” route. This will reduce the chance of getting lost and will reinforce your knowledge of the path you have just taken. You can then expand your runs in the future. 

Downloading and signing up to the full OS maps package on your phone is great way to discover new paths and create new routes. It is also really easy to use on the move.

Method #2: Personal Bests

If you find the idea of exploring on your own a bit unnerving, another way to motivate your solo run is to go for a PB on a route you know well. 

Using the Strava app can really help on these sort of runs. You will have an exact idea of how fast you have done the course in the past and can also try and target a segment or two. If you target specific sections of the run it will help keep up the motivation throughout the miles. 

I don’t suggest you make every solo run a PB attempt. Personal bests are hard to achieve (the clue is in the title) and you don’t want to ruin a whole planned week of runs because you burned out on a PB early on. 

However, if you wake up on a Monday feeling strong and really feel a new record is in your grasp, go for it! 

Method #3: Improve Your Technique

Another way to spike the motivation is to try new techniques, and improve current ones. We’ll cover techniques in another blog, but in the meantime solo runs can be a good way to try new things without being bombarded with advice by a ‘helpful’ running club member. 

If you have read something you want to try, or have been advised to work on a specific technique by a qualified coach an easy solo run is great time to practice. 

As an example, after reading Hal Koerner’s Field Guide to Ultrarunning I tried his technique for downhill running. This was a completely new concept and I was reluctant at first – mainly because I didn’t want to land flat on my face. However, after trialling the new technique on a couple of solo runs I was completely sold and have been convincing others to try it ever since.

Stay Motivated

There are a number of other motivational techniques that can be employed for solo runs. I hope these three methods help you get out on those slightly less attractive runs and give you plenty of stories to spin at your next running group session.

Keep running!