What do Santa, God, the Tooth Fairy, Captain Kirk, Time-travelling Deloreans and a tasty Greggs Pasty have in common with Running Mojo? That’s correct they’re all fictitious – especially the Greggs pasty those things are nasty.

So to the point – in the last few weeks I’ve seen a rise in what people are calling a lack of ‘running mojo’ but here’s a weird thing – the symptoms of this phantom disease are never the same. Surely if it were real we could find some commonality but seemingly it can be caused by anything, at anytime and to anyone.

So what gives? 

Here are some of the reasons I’ve been heard over the years as to why ‘mojo’ has apparently left the building.

• I can’t be arsed to run
• I’m too fat too run
• I’m just not ‘feeling’ it
• I can’t run as fast as I used to
• My life’s a bit crap at the moment
• She’s left me
• I need new trainers
• It’s cold
• It’s wet
• I’m injured 

None of the reasons I’ve heard are liable to create a scenario of ‘mojo’ loss, these are individual problems that might affect running negatively but they shouldn’t necessarily stop you doing it. So when you analyse the problems you’re having with running is it really the waving a magic wand or searching under the sofa to restore the magic mojo that will make it all better or do you need to seek out the root problem?

I believe it’s the latter rather than the former – but there are those that will suggest the reverse. But let’s look at the major groups of so-called ‘mojo loss’

Excuses, excuses, excuses, we make excuses and come up with spurious reasons not to run. It’s a case of convincing yourself to get out there and do a bit – I’m not saying go and run up a mountain but excuses benefit nobody. A lack of motivation could be solved by finding a club, a running buddy, some friendly support (either in person or via social media platforms) or simply looking in the mirror and telling yourself to get out there. I’ll say this again – there’s no magic wand, running can be hard work but think of the long and short term benefits when you’re looking for excuses and you’ll be fine.

Life isn’t always like a box of chocolates, sometimes it’s just a box of turds! This is a difficult one, time, money, family, etc are the external pressures that we can’t always control. However, if running is your thing then you need to find a window for it, whenever it is – it may serve as an outlet to alleviate, however briefly, everything else. Running doesn’t solve life problems but can it make it worse? I tend to think not. What I know from personal experience is that if I don’t run for periods of time where life is overtaking me that leads to a less and less positive mindset which can be difficult to get out of and I do spiral downwards.

Boys and Girls and Girls and Boys. If a relationship has fallen apart or indeed just started up that’s not runnings fault, (well unless you run as much as I do) so don’t blame your lack of enthusiasm on it. Truth is there’s a silver lining to the end of a relationship – you’ll have more time for running AND running is full of attractive, sweaty, fit looking people, who’ll understand your running fascination / obsession better and some might even be looking for a bit of romance, running styleee! Obviously this is not an excuse to exchange your current loved on (ahem). And if it’s vice-versa and you have started on a new relationship that overtakes your life, try and remember that running was there before your new beau and will be once they’re gone – so don’t neglect it. In fairness I’d hope that a spanky new relationship would inspire you to get out there and keep in great shape but you never can tell.

Wet weather and lacking the right kit. Seriously that’s not running mojo that’s laziness. A lack of new trainers, a bit of wind and rain? Get your shit together and get out of the house.

The plague of injury. Stop, get it fixed, come back stronger. Injury is crappy and it requires mental toughness and a desire to fill your time with something other than running. Injury is something most of us will suffer with periodically and if the only thing you do is run then that can be very challenging to fill the void. However, having a range of activities or people you enjoy and can support you during these times will deflect from the pain of rehabilitation and lay-offs.

In and out of love. I’ll agree that you can fall out of love with running, it’s happened to me enough times but I’d never try and blame something so intangible as ‘running mojo’, I’d accept that I wasn’t enjoying it and look to rectify the source of my angst. For me, when times are tough and running isn’t going as planned I usually take a break and only when I start seeing Lycra clad runners streaking past me and I’m jealous do I know it’s time to return. Yep there ain’t no mojo got a hold over me.

I may not believe in running mojo loss – because I believe it’s simply a term for a collection of things such as lethargy, disappointment, injury, negativity and the like. There are solutions to most things in life (not all of them easy) but if you’re feeling shit in your running you might consider the root problem rather than look into the eyes of this mysterious mojo force. We’re all individual and how you drag yourself out of that hole is as individual as your fingerprint but remember there ain’t no hoodoo over you it’s just all about the awesome hard work you put in.

So do you believe in ‘running mojo’? Am I missing a trick? Have I just never been imbued with the power of mojo? If it is real, then what is it? Or am I correct and mojo is simply all the positive gubbins like tenacity, endurance, good feeling and desire? I’m curious about this one and keen to learn – thoughts happily accepted.

Enjoy running.