Hey Reader,

If every run has to be fast, hard and structured then running will start to feel heavy.

And that's when consistency drops.

But there is one thing we can do to make sure that does not happen.

And it’s a hack that I’ve seen be extremely powerful.

So I actually have a weird approach to this, but it’s based on science so stick with me here.

You see, in the early 1900s, a scientist named Ivan Pavlov noticed something strange.

So every time he fed his dogs, they started salivating, which makes sense.

But then he tried to ring a bell every time he fed them just before giving them food.

Then over time, something wild happened.

Eventually, he could ring the bell without giving them food… and the dogs would still start salivating.

So why is this?

It’s because their brains had learned that Bell = reward.

And so this became one of the most famous experiments in whats known as behaviorism.

But the scary part is our brains work in the same way.

That’s why we open our kitchen drawer “just to check” if there’s any chocolate left.

We’re not hungry. We’re conditioned.

At some point in the past, you opened that drawer and you got rewarded.

So now your brain keeps sending the signal.

But here’s the thing...

We can use the exact same mechanism to make running feel easier.

Let me explain.

What if running itself became the thing your brain looked forward to

Not because of discipline.

Not because of motivation.

But because your brain expects a reward.

Let me give you an example.

What if every time you went for a run, you were allowed a small piece of chocolate?

Or what if running was the only time you were allowed to listen to your favorite podcast…or your favorite music?

Now, the mistake most people make is that they reward themselves after the run.

They think: “I’ll go run… and then I’ll get the reward.”

But that’s actually the wrong approach.

Because now you’re teaching your brain: Stopping = reward.

And the next time you lace up your shoes, your brain remembers:

“Last time, the good stuff came when we stopped.”

So running feels harder. Instead, we want to reward ourselves immediately.

As in the moment you start running.

Then we teach our brains that: running = reward.

Not finishing.

Not stopping.

Running.

And then over time — just like with the dogs — something powerful happens.

Eventually, we don’t even need the chocolate anymore.

We don’t need the music.

Because our brains have learned the association.

Running itself starts to feel rewarding.

And at that point running becomes a lot easier.

Nicklas

PS. If you want a plan that keeps your runs balanced, rewarding, and actually sustainable, check out my training plans here.​

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