Do you want to improve your running performance while having fun at the same time?
You may think this is too good to be true. Having fun whilst training to up my running game? How could that possibly be fun? With fun challenges!
Why take on running challenges?
Grow as a runner
We’ve all heard that phrase William S. Burroughs said when you stop growing, you start dying. This is absolutely true in all aspects of life, and running is no different.
A challenge is a task or situation that helps someone grow by testing their abilities. Running challenges will allow you to discover your current ability, as well as push yourself to improve.
A sense of achievement
We humans like to feel that we are special. We can do a good job on a task. We admire achievement and strive to achieve ourselves.
When we watch the Olympics, the premier league or a sports championship, we feel a sense of awe and respect for the sportspeople because of their physical performance and mastery of their sport. The same is true for challenges in our lives.
When there is a goal to be met, we pursue it until we are successful. Some things that may come to mind when thinking about things that are difficult but rewarding may be a promotion at work, learning a new song on the piano, learning new language vocabulary, or loving our spouse. These things may be difficult to achieve or maintain, but may be very rewarding experiences. Our drive to achieve can be fulfilled by taking on running challenges, which can provide a sense of accomplishment.
Boosting self-esteem
Self-esteem is how we value and perceive ourselves. Our self-esteem is based on our opinions and beliefs about ourselves and what we think we are worth. Those with high self-esteem are usually confident and happy, while those with low self-esteem may be sad and unassertive. I think that taking on challenges in life can help you to feel better about yourself, and gives you the chance to have a better life.
According to Dan Pena, high self-esteem provides the confidence needed to take chances. Individuals who have a high opinion of themselves are more likely to take risks and live life to the fullest compared to those with low self-esteem. One could say that having high self-esteem is the key to a happy life. Running can help you develop as a person by facing and overcoming difficulties.
Running challenges are powerful because you can track your progress. This allows you to see if you have met your goals. For example, if you want to run a certain distance within one month, or beat a personal best, these are both measurable goals. You will either achieve them or not. You know if you’ve succeeded or if you’ve failed. This is very good for building self-esteem because you always know whether you have done well or not. You will achieve different results depending on whether or not you manage to overcome the challenge.
In this article, you’ll find a new running challenge for each month to keep your running varied and fun. Enjoy and embrace as many challenges as you can.
1. Run every day for a month
The objective of this text is to help the reader become more consistent with their running, become more comfortable with their style, and become more familiar with running in general.
Running for 30 days straight is a great way to start the month. Given that the weather and how you feel can be two significant variables in running, committing to running at least 1 mile every day is a challenge in and of itself.
Why is this challenge worth doing?
Consistency is incredibly important for running success. This challenge will help improve your self-discipline to keep running, even on days and in moments when you really don’t feel like it.
Think about top performers in the sport. Mo Farah, Paul Martelletti, Laura Muir. All of the successful runners share one common training trait. Even on days when they don’t feel like it, they are consistent and disciplined about showing up to run.
While you might not aspire to be an Olympic running champion, meeting this challenge will teach you lessons that will help you be successful in other areas of your life. If you want to be successful, you’ll need to be disciplined in your habits. This means reading regularly, never missing work, putting effort into your relationships, and keeping your living space clean.
challenge that can improve not just your sports performance, but other areas of your life as well. A running app like Strava is a great way to keep track of your runs and see your progress over time. Using a sports watch to log your runs will help you stay motivated and see how far you’ve come.
2. Run 100 miles in one month
Objective: Increase your endurance, achieve a target, build self-esteem
It can be fun to set and achieve the goal of 100 miles in one month. To become a better runner, try to average around 25 miles each week.
Why is this challenge worth doing?
Something all runners can deal with is improved endurance. No matter how fast you can run a 5K or how far you can run a marathon, you will need to be physically fit to perform well.
If you don’t run very often, you will get tired quickly during a 5K race. Trying to run a marathon on a low monthly mileage will lead to fatigue and a bad experience. If you have a strong foundation of physical endurance from running further each month, you will be able to maintain your performance for longer periods of time and run much better. Just one reason to book yourself onto this challenge.
Another positive outcome of participating in the 100 mile month challenge is an increase in self-confidence. Our self-esteem is our opinion of our self. If you achieve difficult goals that you set for yourself, like the 100 mile month challenge, you will have a reference for something you have accomplished. Believing in yourself gives you the ability to do better and makes you feel better about yourself.
If you have high self-esteem, it will affect other areas of your life positively, such as your career, relationships, parenting, socializing, and playing musical instruments. The 100-mile month running challenge is a great way to build self-esteem.
3. Complete a plank after every run
While planking may not be directly related to running, having a strong core is certainly important for running. Exercising with planks is beneficial for just about every athlete, especially runners.
Planking is an effective way to work multiple muscles at the same time, including your core, back, arms, shoulders, glutes, quads, and ankles. If you make a habit of doing regular plank exercises, you will become stronger and more efficient at running.
The work that our core does helps to keep us upright, and having a stronger core could be the key to preventing us from getting tired on long runs.
See if you can challenge yourself to complete a plank after every run for 30 days. Working on your core regularly will help you establish a routine, and improve your running at the same time. Can you complete this plank challenge?
4. Increase mileage by 10% each week
Full text: increasing one’s running mileage is a goal that many runners of all abilities share Safety is the number one priority, and it can take time to achieve it. Many runners make the mistake of pushing themselves too hard, too soon.
If you run too many miles too soon, you can end up feeling burnt out and might even get injured.
You need to increase your mileage by 10% each week to complete this running challenge. If you save 10% of your income, it may not sound like much, but it will really start to add up over time. At the end of 30 days, you will be running 40% more than you were at the start.
You increased your mileage safely, which is the best part. If you were to increase your mileage by 10% each week for 30 days, would you be able to do it?
5. Set a 5k PR
The great thing about running is that there are so many competitions you can enter. There are local races nearly every weekend, and groups of runners often get together to run on trails in the area. There are usually many 5k races taking place in most areas.
Since 5k races are so common, it can be motivating to set a goal to beat your 5k time by 30 days. It can be helpful to have a race coming up to help you stay motivated in your training and keep your focus on your goal.
If you don’t quite make a 5k PR early in the month, you’ll have another chance later. Can you set a 5k PR in 30 days?
6. Run on a trail once a week
Running is such a versatile sport. Trail runners are people who love to run through nature, and usually prefer off-road running to running on a treadmill or a track. While it’s easy to go for a run through the neighborhood every day, many of us forget about the opportunities that exist on trails.
If you’ve been curious about trail running but are unsure of how to get started, this running challenge may be a good option for you.
A good way to switch up your running routine is to do one of your runs each week on a trail instead of the sidewalk or road. Sometimes it can be beneficial to do things that make you feel uncomfortable.
7. Complete every run in the morning
Ah, those early morning runners. When you see a runner outside on a dark and dreary morning commute to work, it can make you feel guilty.
Many people wish they could commit to running in the morning. If you’ve ever attempted to run in the morning and failed, or even if you’ve just been inspired by hearing stories from people who do it regularly, there’s no reason you can’t give it a try yourself.
Getting started is always the hardest part. You might find it more manageable to try running in the morning for 30 days, rather than committing to it indefinitely.
If you give yourself permission to quit after 30 days, it will be easier to keep going. But you may find that it’s not as hard as you thought it would be.
8. Run a 5k, 10k, half marathon and marathon in one month
This is a running challenge for people who really want to push themselves. To complete a 5k, 10k, half marathon, and marathon in one month, you would need to run 48.6 miles just for the races.
This challenge is no exception for runners who are known for their crazy feats. If you have been preparing for races that cover long distances and are feeling physically healthy and motivated, try registering for all four races within one month.
You have 30 days to complete a 5k, 10k, half marathon and full marathon. Can you complete the challenge?
The possibilities are endless with running challenges! Think about what goals you want to accomplish and see if you can do them by running.
9. Complete a streak
The most popular time to run streak is during the holidays because people are more motivated to get outside and there are more excuses to do so. If you commit to running one mile per day during a busy month, you will be more likely to stay accountable.
Running streaks can be an excellent motivator, as they often lead to runners completing more miles than they set out to do.
10. Negative split every run
One of the hardest things about running for most people is preventing your body from getting tired. The harder you work, the more tired you will become.
Having a slow pace during a race or workout can be discouraging.
This challenge requires you to run every day for 30 days, gradually increasing your speed. A negative split is when the runner’s second half is faster than the first. The speed could be increased by just 1 second per mile or by as much as 30 seconds. Any increase, no matter how small, still matters.
Final Words
It doesn’t stop here, either. Running challenges can be created for oneself on a daily, monthly, or yearly basis. Try out a different 30 day running challenge every month for a year, commit to completing something every day, or try your first 30 day running streak!
If you want to improve, you need to get out of your comfort zone. You’ll make new discoveries along the way.
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