The Spontaneous Run
The key to this kind of run is not to plan, but to seize upon opportunities when they arise. Be on the lookout for chances to sneak in a few extra minutes of running throughout your week. If dinner is on the stove and needs to simmer for 20 minutes, throw on your shoes and go for a quick run. Insomnia got you up at 4 a.m.? Go for a run. If leaving work at 5 p.m. means you'll be sitting in rush-hour traffic for 45 minutes but leaving at 6 p.m. means you'll miss most of it, why not spend that hour relieving some stress and padding your mileage? See how many of these little runs you can fit into each month. If you do better than two or three, consider yourself a spontaneity star.
Get Your Zen On
Try this at least once or twice every month: Put on your shorts, shoes and running shirt, head out the door and just run. Don't bring your phone or your iPod, GPS or any other kind of watch. Don't pre-plan your route. Just see where your feet take you. Make spontaneous turns down new roads. Run until you feel like you're halfway done, then turn around and head back. If you're running in a town or city, navigate back along a different route than you took on the way out. When you do this, choose safe, well-lit roads with sidewalks or wide shoulders, and be sure you don't go so far that you'll regret not having water with you.
More: Fartleks: A Clever and Fun Way to Do Speedwork
Help a Friend
Make a running date with a friend who could use some encouragement, whether it be with their running or in some other area of their life. Connecting with others while doing a healthy activity is a fresh take on the usual beer-after-work gripe-and-moan session that has become the default for many. Choose a picturesque route without a lot of other people around, and keep the pace easy so that your friend can talk comfortably about whatever is going on. Then just be there and listen.
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