I miss running, I miss the adrenaline, the freedom of the outdoors, the power I feel in my body, but if I am honest, most of all I miss how light and lean I look and feel when I am fully committed to running regularly.

Running is not that easy to get back into each time I stop.

It’s actually easy enough to get changed, put on my shoes and get out the door. Its actually easy enough to put an hour or so aside. But somewhere between the thought and the actions my head usually gets in the way. That’s the hard bit. Even the muscle soreness after the first couple of runs  is not so bad if I don’t overdo it, so what stops me?

There are many positives; weight loss, good health, fitness, clothes look great, skin is great, diet naturally gets better etc ,etc, etc

Its simple actually, like anything once I start and commit I only get better and better. I can run longer and faster, the feeling of straining my body turns naturally from uncomfortable to pleasurable. My lungs expand, my body leans up and I get a sense of being able to conquer anything in all areas of my life.

I just need to get past my head……..

In my quest for inspiration, I came across this article which I have shared below, maybe this will help get me moving again tomorrow ?

Here are three ways to structure your running program to burn fat and lose weight.

#1: Longer Workouts
It’s a no-brainer that longer workouts burn more calories. But interestingly enough, when you run for longer than about 90 minutes, you improve your body’s ability to use fat as fuel.

The lesson? Complete a long run every week. Since these workouts are more taxing on the body, it’s a good idea to only run one every week.

Several studies have shown that the longer a subject exercised, the longer it took for their metabolic rate to return to pre-exercise levels. Even at relatively moderate exercise durations, the benefit is significant. Another study found that this “exercise after-burn” is more than doubled when exercise is increased from 30 to 45 minutes. And after 60 minutes? Metabolic rate increased by a factor of five!

 #2: Intensity
Intense workouts torch a lot of calories, even if they don’t last very long. Since most runners work out at an easy or moderate effort for all of their runs, this is often the missing link between staying at your current weight and losing those extra pounds.

The key with intense workouts—either strength sessions in the gym or running interval workouts—is to make the hard portions very hard, and take enough recovery so you can keep going at the same intensity level.

Races run at 100 percent of your maximum effort accomplish this goal quite well, as do sprints or maximum-weight lifts in the gym. Make sure you run at least one hard workout per week, and race regularly.

A favorite to burn a lot of calories is to run a Warrior Dash. The combination of running and obstacles keeps your heart rate high and boosts the amount of energy you continue to burn after you finish.

 #3: Frequency
How often do you run every week? Most runners fall into the 2 to 4 runs per week category, and from an advanced weight-loss perspective, that’s simply not enough.

Running more often creates more spikes in heart rate and metabolic activity, increasing the number of calories you burn on a daily basis. Increased consistency will also help you prevent injuries, run faster, and ultimately become a better runner.

Admittedly this strategy is less important than the duration and intensity of your workouts, so start with those first and then add more runs to your training schedule once you’re comfortable with them.

And of course, understand that the goal here is to get to your ideal weight, not to be underweight. Being too thin won’t help your running and can predispose you to injuries.

When you’re able to maintain a healthy weight, you’ll realize the benefits: faster race times, fewer injuries and a feeling of accomplishment.

Source: News Health