I get by with a little help from my friends

So its January, the holidays are over and you are feeling maybe a little guilty about that extra 300th serving of cake and decide....enough is enough! I'm going to start running!

Let me be the first to say good on you! It takes a lot to break the comfortable habit of the holidays and many people never get there.
There is however an abundance of people, (myself included in the past) who have fallen off of there newly found wagon by the 2nd month. The reasons for this can be split into a small group of creatures....

• Boredom - A tough little beast that creeps up on the unprepared and is absolutely riddled with 2nd month-itis, the most common cause for the replacement of sofas 
• Frustration - This little guy makes sure you set your goals so high that you work yourself into a frenzy trying to impress him only to feel like you have failed. Beware this evil genius as this only makes him stronger
• Lack of support - Similar to the lesser known "no-one seems to care so why should I bother?" the "Lack of support" can bring down the biggest of prey without them even realising why. 
• Injury - One of the most studied of all time! The Injury is the most mischievous of all of the creatures, pouncing at any given chance! The Injury is also prone to changing shape and size so it can be very hard to spot

Fortunately for you your friendly neighbourhood Cardiosaurus is on hand with a quick guide on how to be best prepared for said beasties!

• The Boredom is a tricky guy but not unbeatable. If you are prone to attracting this most annoying of creatures try these simple tips...

1. Change your routes and confuse him! If he can`t find you he can`t get you!
2. Mix up your training, get off the road and lose the little guy in the woods!
3. Join a running club and out number him! 
4. Get yourself some books, blogs, or forums and get some inspiration, the Boredom hates knowledge!

• Frustration is the scourge of runners, this little guy tries as hard as it can to make sure you feed him with  every piece of negative emotion and I say...make him starve!

1. Have a good chat with Frustration and you will soon find that he isn't much of a talker and tends to leave pretty quickly! Find a positive in EVERY run to keep this guy at bay
2. Try not to get so hung up on the data, times, splits and targets all the time. Frustration hates fun so when you see him peaking around the corner loose the watch and just run! Fast, slow, it makes no difference just smile and Frustration will leap in terror!
3. Chat to others about this little beast and you will soon see that everyone has met one, you are not alone and he can be easily beaten

• Lack of support likes to get you when you are on you own, a selfish little thing that makes you want to give it all up and spend more time with it

1. My biggest suggestion to combat this terror is to do exactly what you are doing already, reading things like this! I have been part of a running forum now for just over a year and the support and advice that I have received over that time has been amazing and has certainly eradicated any signs of the Lack of support within my running world.
2. Running clubs are also a great idea as the Lack of support is a shy creature and gets very nervous around advice and groups

• Last but by no means least is the Injury. We all have or will at some point be confronted by the most aggressive of all the creatures listed above. The following are a few tips to try and help but this is one beast that is very hard to tame.

1. Assess your form, the Injury likes to start there first. Poor bio-mechanics are the playground of this little devil so by working slowly and building up you should be able to keep him at bay.
2. Read a lot, knowledge is power and can help you overcome and hopefully prevent the Injury from realising what you are doing!
3. Build up slowly as Injury is very commonly found to team up with the other creatures in the hope to get a real hold on you for as long as it can!
4. Never feel stupid for consulting a professional, this is the Injury's favourite trick to play to try and keep you grounded for as long as it can.

So there we have it, a very brief guide on how to combat some of the main reasons for stopping running!

There are many many more but these are just some off of the top of my head.

Hope you found this information useful or at least, made you smile!

Happy running peeps!

Cardiosaurus