Happy Victoria Day everyone! I hope everyone’s weekend was enjoyable and you made the most of the weather, we sure did!
A while back I posted my running goals for the next little while. I’m happy to say I completed the 30 days to 5K plan I laid out. It ended up taking 36 days altogether, once I started, but I finally ran my first 5K yesterday! It was hot and very slow (42 minutes, I told you I’m slow) but I did it. I took the extra few days as I didn’t want to skip any of the distances planned. Because this plan had some big mileage jumps I felt it was important to do every run.
I’m still setting my goal to reach a half marathon in 2016 but my goal race has changed. Originally, I had planned on the Disney Princess Half next February but after reading how early you have to be up and in your corral (in your corral by 5 am) I decided that I’m not motivated enough to get up at 3 am for a race. I do have a specific goal race in mind and I’ll be sure to share it when more details have been finalized.
As I was running yesterday I was thinking about tips on how to stay motivated, mostly because I needed to motivate myself. Here’s how I got through this first plan:
1. Run Slow & Easy. All of my runs were run easy and slow enough that I could carry a conversation while running.
2. 10 & 1. Everytime there was a significant increase in mileage I used the 10 minute running : 1 minute walking method. Some people use this method all the time and that works too. I say whatever gets you out there and moving is the best method.
3. Siting. I do this often during the last 500 meters or so of every run. I pick a spot up ahead and just run for that spot. I don’t look at my garmin, I just go. When I reach that spot I pick a new one further ahead and keep going ’til I’m done.
4. Mantras. I have two things that I think when I need that extra push, the first is my personal running mantra: “Strong Mind, Strong Body,” and the second thing I always tell myself is that if I stop and walk it’s just going to take longer to get home. When you only have a block of time to get your workout in, every minute counts!
What’s next? For the next month I want to build a slow, easy base. My goal is to get 3 to 4 – 5Ks per week. On top of that I’m doing yoga once a week (it was my saviour at the end of the week for this past cycle). Overall, my goal for this block is to run a continuous 5K.
Running truly is a fantastic sport to participate in. You don’t need any fancy memberships, just a decent pair of shoes. It doesn’t matter if you’re fast or slow, you just need to get up and go!
As always, I’d love to hear your running stories. What motivates you on an especially tough run?
