Staying Motivated Through the Winter Months

It’s been a long, cold, and snowy winter.  It’s not very motivating.  It makes it harder to get out from under the covers in the morning and harder to get motivated to get that workout/training session in.  What’s the best way to get past the lack of motivation?  Keep your eye on the prize!! Whether it be a marathon or a 5k, a sprint triathlon or an ironman, a bike race or a duathlon…. Sign up for a race and keep your eye on the prize!  Everyone has different goals and whether yours is to cross your first 5k finish line, cross your first triathlon finish line, or run a PR marathon or Ironman time, signing up for a race is a great way to stay motivated through the winter months.  And try to remember that a good sweat session can help you overcome the winter blues!! 

“Tomorrow’s battles are won in today’s practice.”

Still having a hard time staying motivated?  If your budget can make it work, I highly recommend hiring a coach to help you reach your goals and not only stay motivated, but use these winter months to get faster and stronger! If you can’t afford to hire a coach, find a friend to train with you!  It could even be a friend that lives across the country, just knowing that your BFF is training to run by your side at a race may be enough motivation, plus you can help each other to stick to a plan! It is hard to lose sight of your goals when you have a training buddy and/or coach to hold you accountable.  I have the luxury of training for all of my races with my hubby by my side, so we keep each other motivated and on track with training sessions, nutrition, and rest and recovery!  Along with not losing sight of your goals, it is equally important to remember why you have those goals…because you love to move your body and train and race.  Make sure you and your training buddy remind each other that you are lucky to have a hobby you love and even luckier that your body allows you to push it every day!  

“The key is not the will to win. Everybody has that. It is the will to prepare to win that is important.”  - Bobby Knight 

Training for a race without a support system can be hard.  If you don’t have a friend or family member to share the process with, get on social media and I can assure you that you will find a zillion people that will support you on your journey and inspire you with theirs!  Just remember that if you want something, you have to work for it.  A great race doesn’t just happen, you have to put in the work and stay motivated.  Do that 15 minutes of core work instead of sitting on the coach for an extra 15 minutes – you can even watch TV while you do it! 

“There are no shortcuts to any place worth going!”

In other news…Anthony and I are taking advantage of a great opportunity to head to St Croix at the beginning of March to get certified as USA Triathlon Coaches!!  We are looking forward to learning even more about the sport and the amazing human body and we are SO excited to start helping people to accomplish their athletic goals.  From crossing that first 5k finish line to crossing that first sprint tri finish line to working towards goal times and PRs in all distances, we cannot wait to be able to help age group athletes accomplish their goals!!

85 and Sunny in St Croix!