I used to run quite a bit 5-6 years ago, but for various reasons I ended up quitting. I think it was mainly because I focused on cycling instead, but in hindsight I should have combined the two activities.
I got back into it recently on a bit of a fluke. One day I just decided to go for a run, and I’ve managed to stay consistent with it for about three months now. I went from running 20 minutes with some effort, to now running 40-50 with effort to spare. Some of the things I think contributed to this:
I removed all arbitrary limitations I used to set for myself.
I used to think that if I was going for a run, I had to start running the moment I stepped outside my door. I don’t like running on tarmac, so I just started taking my bike to the closest trail and now I run from there.
I also used to think that every run had to be at full speed, full exertion. It’s still my goal, but if I feel I don’t have the energy then I just take it chill that day.
I logged all of my runs in an activity tracker to keep myself accountable. This is probably a basic thing, but the fact that I did this made me build running into a habit again. I don’t want to not tick a box, you know.
I didn’t over-extend when I started out. I started with short runs, and over the course of 1-2 months increasingly made them longer. I think I’m quite happy with the distance at the moment, and I’m mainly trying to improve my times.
I just focused on running. I didn’t have anything that measured my pace, the exact distances I ran, elevation, heart rate, max VO2, etc. I literally just ran. The only thing I tracked was when I started and ended a run.
Only recently did I get a Garmin to track things, but I did this only when I felt it had become a habit; and I don’t necessarily stare myself blind at the statistics it gives me.