Here’s How To Commit To Your Next Race

Taking on the challenge of a new goal is no easy feat, but with the correct training and preparation, there’s an incredible opportunity to have a wonderfully rewarding experience. Of course, that’s not to say that taking on whatever distance you’ve set your sights on won’t come without its difficulties. However, with the correct mindset and commitment to your goal, you’ll be prepared to navigate the intricacies of training.

 Here are a few ways that might make it a little bit easier.

1. Find Your Reason:

With every undertaking, it’s important to recognize why you are choosing to do what you’re doing. Self-motivation is incredibly important, and powering through early morning training runs and/or difficult workout sessions will be all the more easier when you have a good reason for it. Whether your reason is to improve your health, take on a challenge you never thought you’d accomplish, or knowing you are raising money for an incredible cause, take a few moments this week to think about your individual ‘why,’ and write it down. Put your why—or your whys!—somewhere you’ll see them every day, so you’ll reinforce your own reasoning on yourself on days you might lose sight of your goal.

2. Make Training a Priority:

This is easier said than done, but in order to fit training into your lifestyle, you’re going to need it to be a priority. Whether you do this by actually scheduling your workouts into your Google calendar so you have a daily reminder that they must get done, or by regularly posting your running endeavors on social media or sharing them throughout the office, it’s important to plan ahead and ensure there is an accountability factor in your training. Ensure those close to you understand that you are undertaking an ambitious goal, so that they can be supportive and helpful.

3. Create A Habit:

Running becomes easier when you make it a habit. By incorporating it into your weekly routine, soon your miles won’t be a chore, but just a regular part of your daily life. Making running a habit can be easier by choosing to run at the same time every day so that it becomes a regular part of your routine, by joining a gym in case it snows or gets too cold so that you don’t have to miss your workouts, and finding running buddies to keep you accountable. Setting calendar reminders for your runs can also help make your running regime a habit.

4. Find A Running Community:

It might be a good idea to find a once-a-week running group in your town through a local running store or on Meetup. Even a virtual community can be incredibly helpful. Running with others can be incredibly motivational, and fun!

5. Know That It’s OK To Fail:

While it’s important to stick to a training plan, know that missing a workout from time to time isn’t the end of the world. Do the best you can, especially around the holidays, and remember that running a little bit even on a super busy day is better than not running at all!