Forget about anything you learnt about not listening to music, podcasts and audiobooks. Forget about the negative effects of anything other than running. Use anything actually to motivate you. Use anything to get you fitter. Use the bike, use the pool, use long yoga sessions, long stretching sessions, long pilates routines. When unfit, anything can make you fitter and will be translated towards running.
When unfit and want to go fast, hard or long, but you cannot, it is very discouraging. The only thing what can make you however better and help you coming back, is still going after it. Not hard and mindlessly but patiently and with a lot of respect towards your body and mind.
When must go slow while being annoyed, when feeling like crap and being in an unpleasant state, you must still keep on going towards hitting your goals. Doing 2 minutes more here, walking up those hills to keep the heart rate down, getting out on the bike the second time during the day to get back the aerobic levels, so you can run more, all must be done.
Normally, I don’t listen to music. But this time of the year, I pull out my trusty earphones and bone conducting headphones and run with podcasts. I warm up with some quality music. I cooldown and stretch with an audiobook. It is a must.
I also watch running videos and look at running blogs and avoid anything distracting me from my plans. I want to feel good. I work hard and work well. I try to be a good dad. I want to motivate myself. I want to be the best I can be and regain my lost level of fitness.
I recommend to listen to motivation station, hour long talks. Here is an old one but still working just fine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6OwnNe9nMU&t=194s
Eric Thomas the hip hop preacher is one well known one.
Get anything. Get anything that can make you at least feel better for the first three steps of that run. Once out and did those initial steps, you are already in it, so why stop. Just keep on going. Monitor the effort though ! Bring food and water if needed !
Tomorrow I am getting in a 25km outing with at least 1000m of gain. I will eat a big breakfast before. I will bring 1l of water and energy bars. I will conquer this long run so next week I will be better prepared.
Here are my favorite podcasts:
- Rich Roll
- Morning Shakeout
- Let’s run
- Ben Greenfield
- School of Greatness
- The real science of sport podcast
- Forward by Lance Armstrong
- Tim Ferris
- Finding Mastery
- Running Rogue
- Trail running Nation
- Marathon Talk
- Sweat Elite
- KoopCast
- Science of Ultra
There are many other good ones…
Take care of motivation anyhow you can and write down your goals somewhere where you cannot escape them. Keep an eye on them multiple times a day !
Boundless Runner 
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