Running News Daily

Five ways to stay motivated in the middle of your training build up

When it comes to training, the end goal of your A-race is sometimes so far in the future that it can be easy to lose focus and motivation. At first, reminding yourself of why you started working so hard may be enough to kick you into gear, but soon enough, you may find yourself feeling less and less motivated as the weeks drag by. If you don’t do something to nip that in the bud and climb out of that rut, then you may make it to race day grossly underprepared. To avoid crashing out before your big race, here are five ways to stay motivated in your training build. 

1.- Add another race or a TT to your schedule 

Your A-race may be your main goal for the season, but that doesn’t mean you can’t add more to your schedule. If you find your motivation waning, signing up for another run could be just what you need to revamp your competitive drive and desire to train. You don’t even have to sign up for a real race. Instead, you can run a time trial. The key here is to act like your individual time trial is an actual race. Pick a date and work toward it.

The morning of, go through your normal race-day routine. Tackle the time trial like you would any other race. By the end of your race or time trial, you’ll likely be hungry for more, once again motivated to work toward your ultimate goal.

2.- Try different types of cross-training

You should be doing some cross-training anyway, but if you’re not, adding some non-running workouts to your schedule is a great idea. Cross-training will not only help you stay fit while relieving your body of some of the physical stress caused by running, but it is also a great way to break out of the monotony of your everyday training schedule. Hop on the bike, go to the pool, try out a rowing machine at the gym—whatever you choose, it will be a welcome break from running your same old routes around town while still helping you improve your fitness.

3.- Get a training partner 

Lots of runners work out solo, but if you find yourself lacking motivation, getting a training partner or joining a running group may be a good way to fall back in love with running. When you have a set running date with a training partner or a group, you’ll feel obligated to get out of bed and get to work. This feeling of obligation will soon turn to anticipation and excitement, as you’ll look forward to joining your friend(s) for your weekly run meetup. 

4,- Set incremental goals 

Setting a long-term goal is great, but they’re not the only goals you should consider for yourself. With a long-term goal, the payoff is months away, but if you set incremental goals that will help you reach that ultimate objective, you’ll give yourself regular validation throughout training. Aim to hit PBs in training, to get faster at specific workouts and to lengthen your long runs. Whatever the goals may be, they will give you something to chase in the moment every day. 

5.- Update your listening library

Sometimes your lack of motivation will be due to boredom, and that might be cured by adding to your music or podcast library. You’ve already been training for months, and if you’ve been listening to the same music or shows day in and day out, you’re probably getting sick of them (even if you might not consciously realize it). Look for a new playlist, a new album or a new podcast to keep you entertained next run. It may just be the key to you getting re-energized in training.