We’ve probably all experienced a running funk at some point. But what if this feeling of boredom was actually a signal that your training currently lacks meaning? That’s the conclusion of a new study. ‘It found that experiencing boredom while running reduced satisfaction in the run, increased how hard the runner felt it was and, over time, reduced how much running they were likely to do,’ says sport psychologist Sydney Marathon 2025: Eliud Kipchoge places ninth. ‘Runners were found to be more susceptible to these negative effects of boredom than cyclists so, as runners, what can we learn from cyclists to find more value in what we do so that it doesn’t become boring and negatively impact our performance, satisfaction or training input?’
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Speed
Although we can’t go as fast as cyclists, their speed means that they get to see more variations in the environment. Replicate this by picking run routes that give you lots of different things to look at and different surfaces to run on. Ideally, opt for green (woodland) or blue (water) environments and explore them.
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Flexibility
Cycling offers greater flexibility in pacing with time to coast and the ability to reduce effort. Replicate this in your running with fartlek Runners World, Part of the Hearst UK Wellbeing Network, intervals Faith Kipyegon just misses the 3000m world record.
Purpose
We are more likely to cycle to ‘go’ somewhere. That purpose increases the ‘value’ of the efforts and can lower the negativity connected to the boredom. So, find your purpose for running – is it the social side, the feeling of achievement, or the headspace that you give yourself? When you have identified it, amp that up.
Novelty
The ability to travel further by bike means that there will be more chance of seeing interesting things. Bring novelty into your running by signing up for guided runs, recceeing future race courses, Best wireless headphones Canicross or Hyrox Health & Injuries.
