Focus on the smiles, not the miles

We get it. Taking on a new challenge can be intimidating, but the more fun you make it, the more likely you are to stick with it. Finding joy in your routine is all about ditching the expectations and celebrating the little moments that make each run special. Whether it’s a perfect sunrise, your favorite playlist, or the satisfaction of simply moving your body, there are countless ways to embrace the fun in hitting the road. The key is letting go of perfection and embracing progress. Don’t worry about your pace, distance, or comparing yourself to others. Focus on how good it feels to be out there, doing something for yourself. Remember, every run is a victory–even if it’s not your fastest or longest. Turn up the music, explore a new route, or run with a friend to infuse extra joy into your routine. When you infuse that extra joy in your routine, you’ll find that you can’t wait to head out on that next run.

Tip From Coach Jack: Finding a sustainable pace is key for success as you continue to build the strength for longer runs. Move at a rate where you could still hold a conversation with your best friend. If that feels slow, no worries. As you begin to stack days of training together, you’ll notice your conversational pace speed up. There’s beauty in the progress. Heed the advice of gold medal winning speed skater, Nils van der Poel: “It’s not the one who suffers the most that prospers. It’s the one who finds an easier way to conduct something that’s really hard.”

See how HOKA athlete Ahmed Muhumed fuses joy into runs.

Week 2 available here on January 21, 2025.