5 Tips To Help You Stick To Your Training Plan
It’s been several weeks since I’ve sent a newsletter and posted a blog. My apologies, I had not realized how many of you enjoy and find these post useful, thanks for your kind notes and emails. In the last few weeks we moved to Mexico, bought a home, started a local training group and my lovely wife, Ashley has even published a book.
I’m SO proud of her that I have to give her a quick plug… As some of you know we moved to the beautiful town of Tulum, Mexico and Ashley’s book is a traveler's guide to our wonderful town. The book is called Travel to Tulum: Your guide to paradise and you can find it in Amazon. Check it out and hopefully it inspires your next vacation. When you are in town, you can also check out our local running club and join us for a run, our site is www.tulumrunning.com. It's was created to unite runners and provide resources to visitors. OK enough about us.
Today I want to talk about something I have found myself struggling with as life got crazy; and that is how to keep up with your training when life gets hectic. Having a training plan is great, but maintaining the motivation to execute those key workouts may be a different story. For that reason I have put together 5 tips which will help you stick to your training plan.
1 - Set a Goal:
The best way to stick with a plan is to be working towards a goal. That goal does not necessarily mean a race, it could be to lose some weight, better your swim times or just work on a more efficient form. Whatever your goal may be it's important to have a reason to get out of bed and train. So, make sure you have a goal in place. If the goal is to finish a half marathon for example make sure it's about four months out any longer and you might lose interest. Another key to keeping engaged is to set milestones and reward yourself along the way.
2 - Find Your Clan:
Finding a group or a buddy to train with will keep you accountable and make the time spent training more enjoyable. Look for a local running group as you are bound to find someone who runs a similar pace as you and if you are really lucky they might even be training for the same event as you. Slowly you will find your clan, these like-minded friends will keep you motivated and support you on those days when you need it the most. No one understands a runner more than a fellow runner.
3 - Personalized Plans:
Make the most of your training time by having a plan that is personalized for you. Whatever you do, don’t waist your time with a generic training plan. You are worth so much more than that. Non-personalized plans may bore you or worse, injure you. Spend time finding a coach who will personalize your training season and help you create a plan for the the year, which includes a balance of strength, speed and endurance. The right plan should take into account your current fitness, goals and any history of injuries. More importantly it should adjust as you progress and become a stronger and faster athlete.
4 - Plan Your Week:
No matter how well intentioned you are, something always gets in the way. So, set yourself for success by planning out the week. If you enjoy doing your workouts in the morning, set your stuff out the night before. This will eliminate any excuses and will get you out of the house before you change your mind. If you like to train after work, set a “workout meeting” on your calendar and plan your deadlines as best you can so your not pushing off your workouts. If a spontaneous happy hour is planned, be flexible. That leads me to my final point...
5 - Be Consistent and Keep it Fun:
I can’t stress enough the importance of consistency in your training. Not only will it keep you on track, but consistency also prevents injuries. I particularly see this in self-trained athletes who try to play “catch-up” with their training. Next thing you know they have an overuse injury. With that said it is also important be flexible or you will risk become mentally and physically overtrained. Each training day should have an objective and if you are unable to accomplish the given objective on a particular day, move it to another day. Your coach should be able to help you adjust as needed.
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