Men's Fitness Online

MF running coach Sean Williams offers his tips on staying motivated to beat running boredom.

Facing running boredom? Train for a race you’ve never done

Go for something completely different, such as a trail race, mountain-running event, ultra-marathon, track race or beach run. Many runners have only ever raced on the road and haven’t tapped into their adventurous side and raced with nature. You can’t beat the thrilling feeling of charging down a mountainside, ducking and weaving on a technical single track in a rainforest – or barrelling along the hard sand by the water’s edge on a beach with a howling southerly at your back.

Sign up for a camp

You can learn new training techniques from experts at a training camp, which are usually held in a beautiful environment away from the city, with plenty of fresh air. It’s a tremendous way to live, train and socialise with other runners, and it will help take your fitness and speed to another level.

Swap a run or two a week for some cross-training

Try deep-water running, swimming, kayaking or stand-up paddleboarding. It will help to prevent injuries from overtraining and it is a smart way to increase fitness with what are usually considered non-weight-bearing methods.

Get yourself a running mate

Sharing a workout with a buddy improves your tolerance of pain and boosts feel-good endorphins that can keep you going for longer.

Tune in

Music is running’s “legal high” according to a Brunei University study, which found that runners who listened to their favourite tunes while out training reduced their perception of effort by 10 percent.