I usually sketch out exercise plans a couple days in advance, taking the weather forecast and our schedule into account when coming up with a loose idea of what I’ll do in the days ahead.

I knew I was going to “ride Saturday, run Sunday” – but when I woke up this morning, I felt the need for a little *something* to make today’s run more interesting and fun.

A New Playlist

This is a trick I used all the time when I first started running.  A fresh mix of music can be something to look forward to and a little extra motivation to get moving.  I dug through iTunes this morning to find a bunch of songs I haven’t listened to in ages and slapped them into my “Run” playlist before heading out the door.

(Starry Eyed Surprise anyone? One of my all time favorite songs to run to.)

Drive Someplace New

Part of yesterday’s bike ride took me through a local park.  As I rolled by a bunch of runners I thought,”this looks like a fun place to run”.  I’ve ridden but never run through this particular park because of its distance from home.

I often resist driving some place to run as that’s one of the things I love about running – not having to drive anywhere.  Once in a while though, a change of scenery is welcome and can be a nice way to make running feel fun and fresh again.  If you’re willing to get in the car to go to the gym, a class or to meet up with a friend, why not drive to a park or even a different part of town for the sole purpose of mixing things up?

New surroundings can help the time fly by too if you’re struggling with not wanting to run because it feels monotonous or boring.  You’re so busy looking around and figuring out which way to go, both the minutes and miles seem to go by a lot faster.