Whether you just signed up for your first big race or you’re a seasoned runner, proper training is so important. The idea is to do your absolute best on race day, no matter what your ultimate goals are. Most races require you to sign up at least several weeks or months in advance. That’s a lot of time to train, which is great for your body and your stamina, but it’s also a lot of time to get sidetracked, and lose some motivation. Luckily I’ve been there and done that so I can help you not make the same mistakes. Here are 4 tips to help you stay motivated and on track while race training. You can put these tips into practice once you start training for your next race and actually get to the starting line on race day.
TIP 1: Train With Others
One of the biggest reasons we lose motivation in our training routines overtime is because we feel as though we have to do it all ourselves. Honestly, it can begin to feel a little overwhelming to do it all alone. But, when you’re training with others, you can use their energy to stay motivated.
Hold yourself accountable by signing up for a race with a friend or two. That way, you all can set a weekly schedule to train together. Or, find a local running group near you, and work with them a few times a week if possible. Even a few days a week can be great to break up any monotony, and provide an entirely different feel to the training process.
TIP 2: Find What Works For You
People generally enjoy training in different ways: some people love to workout first thing in the morning whereas some swear by training at night. Some people like to hit the gym, while others prefer to train outdoors. Finding what suits you best, and figuring out what you actually enjoy doing can be a big help with it comes to keeping your training fresh and exciting day after day.
TIP 3: Keep Track Of Your Progress
The whole idea of training for a race is to get better and better every single day, so by the time you have to ‘perform,’ you’re at your peak level of fitness and athleticism. So, a good way to stay on track, is to actually keep track of your progress with a journal, running app (i.e. Nike+ running) or a fitness device (my favorite is the Fitbit device). It doesn’t have to be anything overly detailed:
Try simply tracking your distance and time each day, and you’ll surely see how much you progress. Seeing that you’re getting better and better every single time you go out for a workout can be extremely motivating, and you can keep trying to ‘beat’ your own time. Competition, even if it’s against yourself, can really keep you on track toward your ultimate goal.
TIP 4: Keep Your Goals In Mind
If you’re having a day where you’re just feeling ‘down’ and completely unmotivated to get out there and train properly, try to think about your overall goals, and why you started in the first place. Recognizing what you really want at the end of your training can make it easier to stay motivated.
Whether your initial idea was to get healthy, prove that you could do something new, or support a friend, keeping a clear vision of those goals in mind can help you overcome just about any obstacle in your training process.
When it comes to training for a race, no matter the distance, staying motivated is key. It’s impossible to show up on the day of the race and perform well if you haven’t put in the hours of training and dedication. And, for the most part, when you sign up for a race, you know that ahead of time, and you’re signing up for a purpose.
Don’t let that purpose fall away in times where the routine of training feels mundane or boring, or you just feel like you ‘can’t’ do it anymore. Make the subtle changes to make training work for you, and by the time race day comes along, you’ll have confidence in yourself that you can put up your best time ever.
Staying motivated is super hard! I mean it’s so easy to get distracted. You’re right about Keeping Track of your Progress and Keeping your Goals in Mind. These are tips often taken for granted when we want to stay motivated. Great post babe! xx
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Thanks girl!! 🙂 I’ll have to check out your dashiki post! That’s mostly what my step-mom wears (she’s Nigerian)! xx