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7 Running Tips to Help Spice Up Boring Miles

Running has never bored me, and very rarely have I struggled to get out the door no matter the weather or my level of exhaustion. That’s not to say I haven’t had challenging workouts, but just starting a run hasn’t been an issue for me. Until now.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, my local track is closed, thus requiring more effort to get to a different one, and—like many—I haven’t been able to run with friends, who are key in spicing up the monotony of the same route and making hard efforts feel easier.

I am used to not racing as much since having kids, but there was always something on the horizon. Now, however, I’m just running toward a nonexistent finish line.

I still get out four mornings a week, but right now, it requires me to get creative with my workouts so I don’t dread them. I’m not alone with feeling blah or unmotivated, says Takia McClendon, USATF running coach, NASM-certified personal trainer, and co-founder of City Fit Girls in Philadelphia.

“People might be bored or fatigued for a lot of reasons,” McClendon tells Runner’s World. “Speaking from personal experience, [City Fit Girls] can’t run as a group so there isn’t that community aspect. A lot of races are canceled so people might not have that end goal to look forward to.”

If you’ve also been uninspired by your worn-out routine lately, there are some small, easy changes you can make to your workouts to turn them into something you can look forward to again. Below are seven tips to spice up the monotony.

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1. Run Your Route in Reverse

We all have go-to routes for which we can turn on autopilot and put one foot in front of the other. We know exactly how far the run will be, where the potholes are, and how long it’ll take to crest the hill at the end. Over time, that gets boring, especially when you don’t have a friend to talk with to stay occupied.

But when you run your usual route in reverse, all of a sudden it becomes brand new, with a different camber and things to look at.

“After the third weekend of doing the same loop, I needed to do something else, so I took it in the other direction,” says McClendon, who has been trying to avoid crowded local trails.

2. Go to the Track

Track workouts help you become a faster runner, regardless of whether you’re training for a race. They’re also great for breaking up your usual running routine, since the combination of intervals you can do is infinite (8x400 at 5K or 10K pace, 8x600 at 5K pace, 4x200 at 1-mile pace—the list goes on). This means even running in circles, the track is never boring.

McClendon cautions newer runners to ease into speedwork because of the risk of injury. In other words, don’t jump into a 10x400 at mile pace. But if you do head to the track, she recommends adding in short pickups to improve speed and keep things interesting. For example, run the straightaways a little faster than the curves.

3. Turn Your Run into a Game

Because McClendon and her City Fit Girls members can’t run together in large groups, they’ve been making a game out of their workouts. For example, instead of the annual Philly Mayor’s Cup, in which the city’s running clubs compete against each other, the teams are participating in scavenger hunt runs. Every weekend, there will be a new activity to encourage runners to get their miles in even when they can’t run together.

Even if you’re not part of a team, enlist a few running buddies and create your own scavenger hunt: Place prizes throughout the neighborhood and write up clues for each other. If you’re feeling extra competitive, add a time limit to speed up the workout.

4. Pick It Up

A surefire way to keep you on your toes midrun is adding pickups—faster intervals to increase leg turnover—also called the Fartlek approach. You can get creative with your pickups, too. To spice up your weekly long run, do a proper warmup, then start running one mile hard, one mile easy. Not only can it help you break out of a rut, it can get you home to your coffee a few minutes earlier.

Pickups don’t have to be as long as a mile. You could run hard for 30 or 60 seconds before backing off for 90 seconds. Or use landmarks instead of time: Run hard to the end of the block, for instance, or to the next street lamp pole. Adding hills is also a sneaky way to inject speed into your workouts and build strength.

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5. Go for Time—Not Mileage

Most of us are particular about their GPS watches recording an exact mileage (you can’t possibly stop a run at 4.96 miles). But McClendon suggests trying time-based runs over mileage. For example, instead of heading out to log 5 miles, plan to run for 45 minutes and see how far you can go.

Check in with yourself regularly by running the same time to see if you’ve added more miles, thus improving your speed.

McClendon likes this approach because it’s more inclusive for newer runners who might not yet be ready for a time trial.

6. Schedule a Time Trial

For more experienced runners, McClendon suggests planning for a time trial. A single mile at an all-out effort is scary, but it is something you can do on your own. “A mile time trial for experienced runners is a really good way to see where you are as a runner,” McClendon says.

After a proper warmup, run a baseline mile then train for 30 days, including speedwork. Then test yourself again on that same course. “Continue to build on that,” McClendon says.

With races off the table for the foreseeable future, setting up time trials for yourself will give you something to work toward.

7. Strength Train

Sure, strength training may not be a way to switch up your running per se, but McClendon encourages runners to take advantage of this time in limbo to do the (literal) leg work they always say they don’t have time for.

“Use this time as the off-season,” she says. “If you don’t have a race coming up, order some dumbbells and build strength, and work on mobility and stretching. Then you get to come back stronger.”

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