Consistency Rules

How to overcome three common obstacles to improve your running

- Elinor Fish

The holy grail of running isn’t to run the fastest or farthest. It’s not a particular race distance or coveted title. It’s the ability to run consistently. Consistency is a challenge for any runner, regardless of experience or commitment level. There will always be things that interfere with your running routine: fluctuating stress, endless to-do lists, a need for more sleep, the family’s needs. But you can run consistently despite these obstacles, because it shouldn’t be about choosing to run at the expense of something else. Rather, running is what happens in support of everything else in your life, from your health to your mental state to your ability to show up for the important people in your life.

“Aerobic training is to endurance what mindfulness is to consistent running,” says Marty Kibiloski, marathoner and leader of running and mindfulness retreats at Colorado’s Shambhala Mountain Center. “It is the foundation upon which you can achieve greatness. Without them you are vulnerable to setbacks and distractions.”

Here’s how to use this concept to run more consistently in the face of three common obstacles.