Ep #398: Your Mid-Year Running Glow-up

Welcome to the Not Your Average Runner podcast. I’m Jill Angie, a certified running coach, and your running BFF here to help you start running. Feel confident and love the journey no matter your size. Now, if you’ve ever felt like you just weren’t meant to be a runner, think again. I believe that running is for all bodies, even yours.

This podcast is your warmup buddy, giving you tips, motivation, and the support you need to lace up and get moving. I’ve helped thousands of women become runners, and now I wanna help you. Let’s go.

Hey, hey runner. Welcome back to the only show for plus-size women who want to run safely, confidently, and on their own damn terms. And today, oh my friend, this is gonna be fun because we are doing a midyear running glow up now. I don’t know about you. I cannot believe that we are already halfway through the year.

It is wild. The solstice was just a few days ago, and here we are heading right into the heart of summer. So whether you have been running like hell all year, or you barely laced up your shoes. Since January. Either way, this episode is your midyear reset. It is a chance to reflect on what is working, release, what’s not, and reignite your spark for the rest of the year.

And this process is, uh, that we’re doing today is actually something I did a deep dive with. Um, in my run Your Best Life group with those folks, about a week or two ago, probably two weeks ago at this point. Um, and I thought, Hey, my podcast listeners might want in on this too. So here we are. I’m gonna give you an overview of the glow up process, and of course, if you want more, you can always join, run your Best Life.

There is a link in the show notes. And seriously, if you’re not there, what is keeping you, we want to meet you. We’re waiting. But anyway, back to the glow up. There are three parts, reflect, release, and reignite. Let’s get into it. Number one, reflect what is the story so far. So pause for a hot second and check in with yourself.

Take a deep breath and ask. What did I hope to do with my running this year? What did I plan right? What was my plan? What have I actually done? What surprised me? What am I proud of? Okay. This is not a performance review. You are not grading yourself. This is a reality check wrapped in compassion. Okay? If your goals shifted or fell off completely, that’s fine.

Life is real. Bodies are real schedules, injuries. Mental health, life. It’s all real. This stop, this step is about curiosity and not criticism. Now you may discover that you have made way more progress than you realized. Or that it’s time to maybe rework your goals so they actually feel exciting again. Or you might find that you accomplish something totally different than you planned, and then it’s even more awesome than your original goal.

Now if you need to pause the podcast right now to think about it, I get it. Uh, you can stop, pause it, make a voice note or two. Um. You go ahead and do that if you need to, or you can go ahead and grab a journal when you get home. Make some notes. You do you. But I really encourage you to go through each of the steps in this process and however you do it.

Remember, it’s just information, it’s data. That’s what we’re doing in the first step, in the reflection step Now. Let’s talk about what you’re ready to let go of. This is part two. It is the release phase of the glow up. And this is where we say goodbye to the crap that is not helping us. So you’ve made it halfway through the year, right?

You have accomplished, you have lived through June. Way to go. Um, but here’s the thing. Sometimes we drag shit around with us like a purse that is way too full and you think, oh God, I don’t have time to deal with this right now. So you just keep hiking it up on your shoulder. You’re giving yourself a back ache.

It takes you 20 minutes just to find your stupid car keys. You know who you are. I see you, I feel you. Um, but you also know if you stopped for a hot minute and got rid of the extra phone case in the bag of melted candy in the 17 Hef used lip balms and the three phone charges and the 22 hair ties, right?

If you got rid of all that stuff, you’d actually be able to find your car keys. In 20 seconds instead of 20 minutes, and you’d probably feel just a tiny bit better. So metaphorically, that looks like letting go of things like the training plan that you printed in January that’s been stuck to your fridge, but you ghosted it in February.

Take it down, throw it out, okay. We’re not gonna worry, we’re not gonna keep that in front of our face if we feel like shit every time we see it. Uh, you can also let go of things like the belief that you are behind or off track. Okay, bye. Not gonna worry about that anymore. Uh, the comparison trap that you keep falling into on Instagram when you see other people who are.

Quote unquote, farther along than you. All right. Block mute, unfollow. No thank you. Clearing out the internal clutter, the mental clutter is what this step is all about. You are allowed to change your mind. You are allowed to pivot. You are allowed to say, that goal doesn’t fit me anymore, and choose something that does, you are allowed to do and think whatever the hell you want.

So this is your permission. You don’t need my permission. I’m giving it to you anyway to start fresh. Not next January. Not next Monday, today. Right here, right now. Okay. So now that we have that baggage off your shoulders, let’s light a fire. Reignite. This is the fun part. Well, okay, wait. Actually getting rid of all the BS that’s holding you back is also pretty fun.

But re-ignition, we are gonna make the second half of this year feel so damn good. And you know, you don’t need a total reinvention. You might think you do, you don’t. You just need a few intentional tweaks to spark that running joy again. So here’s how you’re gonna reignite. Pick a focus. Not 10 focuses.

Not 10 goals. Pick one, please. A small one, that’s doable. Maybe it is building the consistency of running once a week. Maybe it is turning your already consistent habit of running into 5K training. Maybe it’s just re rediscovering the fun of running all over again. Whatever it is, pick one. Focus. And then create a vibe.

Okay, what is your theme for the rest of the year? It could be strong and steady or joy over judgment or, uh, just keep running, right? Whatever speaks to you, make it your mantra. Mine is, take advantage of the small moments. Then now that you have your vibe, you’re gonna make one upgrade. Okay? So you gotta focus a goal.

One goal, not ten one. You got your vibe and you’re gonna make one upgrade. Now, that could be a new playlist that ties into your vibe. It could be better socks, so you don’t get as many blisters it could be. All right, I’m gonna focus on getting a little bit more water ’cause it’s hot as hell out, and I wanna make sure I’m hydrated.

Um, it could be finally joining a supportive running group. Run your best life. It could be anything that elevates where you are now to be closer to where you wanna be. All right? It does not have to be. Anything huge, just an upgrade. Now finally, I want you to celebrate progress over perfection. All right?

Every mile, every walk, break, every stretch that you do after your run, it counts. That is progress. Your body is showing up, you are showing up for your body, and I want you to respect and honor that. All right, so your reignite processes pick a focus. One focus, create a vibe around it. Your theme for the rest of the year, make one upgrade and celebrate your progress.

The midyear glow up is about intention, not intensity. Okay, I’m gonna say that again. The midyear glow up is about intention and not intensity. It is not about doing all of the things. It is about doing one thing. Leaning into it. It is about turning your attention to what you do want instead of beating yourself up about what didn’t happen.

Alright? And again, if you want support coaching in a badass community to help you finish this year strong run, your best life is here for you. We are running, we are thriving, we are saving you a seat. There’s a link in the show notes if you wanna join, or you can just go to run your best life.com. This is a perfect time.

To join because we are kicking off the second half of the year and we’re having fun with it. Okay. Anyway, before you go, if this episode hit home with you, I want you to ask yourself, what is one thing I’m ready to release today and what is one thing I’m excited to reignite? And hey, maybe even put that shit on Instagram and tag me.

Tag me. I love to see your successes. So you have got six more months in this year, my friend. Let’s fucking go. I will see you next week.

Real quick before you go, I’ve got a fun challenge for you. Take my exerciser personality quiz to find out exactly what kind of exerciser you are and how to make running feel easier and more enjoyable.

Just head over to not your average runner.com/quiz to take it and get your results. That’s not your average runner.com/quiz.