How to Run Uphill - and Other Tips for Writers

Photo by Jeremy Lapak on Unsplash

Wait a minute - what does running uphill have to do with writing?

A lot. For the past couple of months I have been running as often as I can, and writing as often as I can. Both require time, effort, and discipline. I signed up to run a half marathon in May. I’ll be running 13.1 miles and I've only done that once in my life, nearly five years ago (when I was younger and lighter!)
 
I often hear writers (including myself) say that it’s hard to find the time to write. It’s true! I’m newly a stay-at-home mom after years of working full time, and one would think I could find some time to write. It's still a struggle.
 
Also, now that I’m a mom determined to go running without a running stroller, my opportunities are limited. In the past, I ran early in the morning, but now I sleep when I can! Instead I run when my husband gets home from work, or on weekends, when he can take care of our little one.
 
Before I had a little person needing my attention all day long, it was easy to put off running. I’d say, “I don't feel like running right now, I'll run later today, or I'll run tomorrow.” Now I must go when I have the chance. Even if I'm tired. Even if it's raining. Even if it's cold. My running time is built around my husband and our baby.
 
The same goes for writing. A couple of years ago, when my Saturdays were wide open, I could write whenever the inspiration hit me. Now that I have an active baby in my care, I don't want her to see me on the computer all the time, especially when she’s asking for my attention. Once again, when I have a window of opportunity, I write. When she's solidly sleeping and I'm not, it's a good time to write. If she's happily occupied with her toys, and my laptop is nearby, I write.
 
Most of us feel like we don't have the time to write. We simply must take every available opportunity and write in small increments.
 
Yesterday morning, I went out for a run with a simple goal in mind - to run up the hills instead of walking them. 
 
I remembered a piece of advice I learned during the one season I ran on track team in ninth grade. Fix your eyes on small goals. Focus on a rock on the side of the road, a tree in someone’s yard, or a crack in the sidewalk. Run the ten or fifteen steps to get you to that goal, then fix your eyes on the next one. And keep running.
 
The same goes for writing. If I have a block of time, but don't really feel inspired, the best thing I can do is set a timer for 15 minutes and make myself write regardless of what comes out of it. Set small goals, and keep going.
 
The second way to run up the hills is to keep putting one foot in front of the other. The same goes for writing books, we must simply write one word after the other.
 
How can we get more writing done?
 
1)    Take advantage of available blocks of time.
 
2)    Set small goals. Set a timer for 15 minutes and write (this works much better than looking at the clock).
 
3)    Keep going, writing one word after another.
 
Do these things and then you'll look back to see how far you've come. You'll see that you've conquered that hill! Finally, if you need a little extra inspiration to start writing, go outside and take a walk or go for a run - you might be surprised how it inspires you!

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Hi, I’m Betsy, married to Mike since 2008, delighted that our long-awaited baby girl has joined us in 2018. We live in the Washington, D.C. area. We enjoy exploring new cities together on foot and doing life as a team. My first book, Embracing Hope During Infertility is intended to infuse hope into your heart! Seasons: A Picture Book, although written for children, can point readers of all ages toward the goodness of God, even in the darkest times. I recently published Write Your Story for new authors or people who dream of writing a book. I hope that it helps you finish writing publishing your own book as well. Thanks so much for reading this post!