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Running. That's what we love. No matter the amount of experience or level. The simple fact of taking one stride after another generates a sensation that, besides being pleasant, allows us to maintain an active lifestyle. Not to mention that it helps our emotional state, improving important aspects such as motivation, confidence or self-image.
Of course, running also involves sacrifice. Although it is a pleasurable activity, putting on a pair of running shoes is something that requires willpower, as long as we want to establish it as a continuous and constant routine. We won't always feel like training or we won't always have the best physical sensations.
When facing the lack of desire or motivation, it is very interesting to look for that focus that pushes us to go out, either through an extrinsic or intrinsic source of motivation. In many occasions the laziness to train is caused by a very monotonous training due to the fact that we always or almost always do the same type of session in terms of duration, intensity and route.
We are aware that depending on where you live, training options may be more limited, but even living in a city with a lot of traffic, traffic of people, abundant roads and reduced recreational areas it is possible to do interesting and varied workouts.
The key lies in knowing all the potential that a city has when it comes to running sessions.
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GO TO THE RECOMMENDEREven after hearing this, you don't think you can train properly in your city?
Don't worry, because below we're going to give you the tips you need to know how to get the most out of your urban running sessions.
Tips for training in the city
At this point it is important to clarify that we are not going to make distinctions between cities. We know that running in Madrid is not the same as running in San Sebastian or that training in Seville is not the same as training in London. In any case, these guidelines are intended to help you train in the best way possible, getting the most out of your performance and your enjoyment.
Avoid traffic
We all know how uncomfortable it is to have to stop at a traffic light or slow down when approaching a crosswalk. As much as possible, try to train in parks or pedestrian areas where vehicles don't have access. This will help you to be aware of your training and nothing else.
If by any chance you do not have any of these areas very close to you, you can use public transport to approach this area or make the journey from one point to the other as a warm-up, walking or by bike, for example.
Explore
Even if you have a favourite route or circuit, get out of your comfort zone and try to train in other locations, even if they are not as beautiful as your favourite place or even if they have a more complicated route (turns, slopes...). This way, you can avoid monotony and have a different source of motivation.
You can also vary the route or the area depending on the type of training, being able to do sets in one place, runs in another and changes of pace in a different one. In addition, if it is an unknown area, it can become an adventure of discovery and orientation, which will make the training much more enjoyable and fun.
Urban trail
Training in the city doesn't necessarily mean running in long straight lines or large esplanades. Even if the place where you live is flatter than a tabletop, you will certainly have at your disposal places where there are stairs and some slopes to access certain areas.
Combining flat running with ascents and descents on stairs and slopes will help us to train in a much more entertaining way, as well as helping us to strengthen our muscles because we have to make a greater effort to overcome these obstacles. At the same time, we will also be stimulating our cardiorespiratory system as it will demand a higher intensity when running.
Sports facilities
It is possible that in your city there are one or more sports areas adapted to practise running. Whether it is a running track or a mini running circuit, this type of facility will allow you to get away from the oh-so uncomfortable traffic when it comes to being able to run in peace and quiet.
Although you may be required to pay a membership fee or pay per ticket, the outlay may be worth it if you don't have adequate areas in your city to train normally. Not only that, but you can also meet people who are in the same situation as you and thus stick together so you don't always train alone.
Running or training groups
Although running is an individual sport, it doesn't mean that it can't be done together. One of the most interesting things about cities is that there are several running groups or training groups that share sessions throughout the week.
This can be the perfect excuse to change your routine and train in a different way, besides being able to learn and improve a lot in aspects where you may have more deficiencies. This type of grouping will be the incentive to go to different races or just go out for a drink after training.
Take advantage of every opportunity
As you have seen, training in a city is not a limiting factor. On the contrary, it offers you a number of possibilities that smaller locations can't give you.
Training in different places, doing long sessions without the need to go around a circuit like a hamster or meeting people who share your passion is something that only large urban centers can give you.
So you know, from now on, instead of looking for any excuse to justify how complicated it is to run in your city, try to analyse all the options it offers, which are surely many and diverse. Let's run the cities!
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