There's NOTHING like a skin tight lycra all in-in-one to get you motivated about exercise - Right?!
Actually, if this is your idea of hell then keep reading
I got a message the other day from newbie Marathon training Megan asking for advice on “Getting motivated about exercising in the cold nasty wetness first thing in the morning?” Well first can I say that it’s brilliant someone thinks I might know something about exercising and motivation – clearly I have somehow fooled you all! Mwahahaha.
In truth this is a toughie. If I had really cracked this, I would be a SUPERmillionaire jetting off to warmer climes and getting someone to work out my body for me.
Short of dashing down to Brighton every morning and singing really badly and REALLY loudly till Megan gets up and out running, I not sure I can be of much actual assistance. So instead I have devised a 10 point plan of some slightly more practical suggestions I can offer up, which should hopefully get Marathon Megan off to a sprinting start with her winter training and beating off the winter blues simultaneously:
1. Visualisation – I’m a sucker for pictures of celebs looking hot in a bikini – I suffer from MASIVE bikini envy so normally a quick look at these stunners is enough of a mental slap to convince me to take the doughnut out of my mouth or to get my trainers on. Similarly, Megan should be visualising crossing that finishing line in under 3 hours, after overtaking Paula of course!! Anchoring – locking in a positive energy, for example a love of running via an incognito gesture such as pressing thumb and finger together is an extension of visualisation techniques. Everytime you don’t feeling like going for a run, you just need to tap into your "anchor" and you should be awash with your love for running and off quicker that the road runner.
OK slight reality check. Love the idea of this but in reality I know of no-one who actually “anchors”. Just too wacky. Plus visualisation and anchoring are just not going to kick your butt when you really need it to.
2. Carrot – Sometimes bribing yourself is the ONLY way to go. Personally I have a system of stickers going. Everytime I complete a session I put a sticker on the wall chart in my bedroom – it lets me chart my progress and makes me feel like I’ve earnt a gold star, sometimes two. After nine months, my wall chart is now a thing of stickered beauty. Seriously. If stickers are not your thing – what about a new nail varnish for 10 consecutive sessions or a pedicure after 30 or a new pair of trainers after 50? Better still, Megan - get your husband to decide on the rewards for you – for example a special dinner cooked for you if you complete a week’s training or no chores etc.
3. Stick – Sometimes a carrot, however pretty or desirable, also isn’t going to do the job. This is where the guilt card comes in handy. My stick is normally a goal I’ve set myself – like a 10km race that’s only a few weeks off. Nothing like feeling the impending fear of failure to get you out into the cold and wet and running your butt off. SUPERtrainer Mel plays the guilt card really well – she has her own brand of text messages that will get you guilted out of bed and to a training session before you realise what’s happening. Similar to above, Megan, get the hubbie to select a forfeit for you if you miss more than one session a week – I guarantee you’ll see a improvement in your willingness to get training sharpish!!!
4. Competition – This is the one that has come into its own in recent weeks and is wholeheartedly responsible for getting me up and out in the horrible early morning winter weather. Cue the League of Extraordinary Early Rising SUPERchicks: Currently SUPERjade and I are battling it out. I’m very proud to say that I currently have a 2 point lead over the weak, weak SUPERjade!!! Our winter league is even responsible for getting me out of bed at 5am twice during last week’s Annual Leave including once after only 3 hours sleep. That’s how competitive I am. So too is SUPERjade and she is not coping well with the thought of losing the League to me – Mwahahaha – I’ve finally found something sports-related I can beat SUPERjade at! Who'd have thought it.
5. Buddy Up – I cannot recommend enough the benefits of finding a training buddy – you’re so much less likely to wimp out if you’re going to let someone else down – which is why AJ and I organise to go running together. We both know it would never happen if each of us were left to our own devices. Plus included free with your training buddy is much needed banter – guaranteed to keep your spirits up even when it is pissing it down. There are various websites out there aimed at matching up running buddies – haven’t tried any personally but http://www.joggingbuddy.co.uk/ looks good (plus I checked and there are loads of potential running buddies in the Brighton area). Alternatively since you’re not in London, and I can’t drag you to SUPERchicks, get yourself to a local running club, Megan. It’s the perfect way to meet a running buddy – just don’t be fooled into taking on any of the 70 year old grandads – they are FAST and have the STAMINA of Usain Bolt – BELIEVE ME!!
6. Accountability – An extension of the buddy theme – this is where my blogging has proved REALLY pivotal. I HAVE to publicise my endeavours to all my friends, colleagues and random strangers because SIMPLY, the more people who know, the less opportunities I have to cheat or fail. I am pretty much guaranteed that at least once a day someone will enquire about “what training I’m doing/have already done today? How’s the running going? Where are those freaky shoes of mine? How’s PALEO? What day am I on? What am I allowed to eat? What’s the next challenge?” etc. This keeps me 100% accountable and focused on what I’m attempting to achieve. Plus owning a fitness blog puts the pressure on me to do something fitness related on a very regular basis – else what would I have to blog about?! But you don't need to get blogging if that's not your thing - there are now whole industries set up on the principle of "public commitment contracts", http://www.stickk.com/ is my current favourite.
7. Suitable Clothing – At the end of the day, there’s no getting away from hideous UK winter weather. Training skins, a waterproof, a woolly hat and the promise of a hot shower post-training really help make the experience a lot more bearable. Plus it’s only those few minutes at the start of a training session when your body is still warming up or acclimatising to the rain that are truly awful. Get past that point and you stop caring about the rain and cold – you have bigger issues to worry about like breathing or your legs wanting to drop off!! (Though maybe that's just me?!) Also you do get a perverse sense of pleasure from running in the rain – just try it!!
8. Tunes to feed the soul – I’m a MASSIVE believer in music lifting my energy and spirits when I really can’t be bothered to do exercise. A fast punchy track is guaranteed to get me skipping down the street when previously I just wanted to catch a bus.
N.B. It is so important to keep changing your tunes and training routes around – your brain is effectively just a large muscle so you have to keep it engaged by surprising it. My sister has just sent me some itunes vouchers for my Birthday and I cannot wait to sort some new playlists to help re-energise my training and running.
9. Simple is best – I made my exercise regime part of my daily commute – I had to. Otherwise I knew it just wouldn’t happen. Getting up early specially to train requires superhuman effort but if it’s just part of your daily schedule and for me, my way of getting to work, you simply stop thinking of it as an optional extra. It’s a daily necessity like eating breakfast, breathing or going to work. Other ways to keep it simple are to ensure your kit is laid out ready so you literally just have to get up and dressed. Some fitness magazines even recommend sleeping in your training bra - though personally, that is taking things a bit far.
10. Habits – Embarking on anything new is always the hardest part. However the good news is that it only takes 30 days to form a new habit and as one of my mentors said to me “you can do anything for 30 days”. Really, well I'll show you! So keep up a new training regime for the first thirty days and it will become second nature. EASY PEASY!!
Additionally I would also highly recommend signing up to the free SUPERchick Motivation Monday email here (scroll to the bottom of the page) – a weekly helping of training inspiration straight to your inbox. Megan – I’ve already signed you up – yup your email is no longer safe from me!!
So Megan – you asked for my help and because I think you are A.M.A.Z.I.N.G for undertaking your first ever Marathon, for the next thirty days I am dedicating you your very own spot on my blog “Megan’s Marathon Motivation” (see right hand side) – This is attached to a twitter account I set up for you!! For every training run you do, you are now accountable to ME and the Girl on a Mission’s readers. You are required to upload either a photo or tweet etc. about EVERY training session. We’ll be checking up on you and your progress. You are so warned!! Complete your training and tweets for a full 30 days and there will be a prize waiting for you at the end.
If anyone has any other tips for WINTER TRAINING MOTIVATION, PLEASE do share... we can split the profits and jet off into the sunset together. xx
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