This is it. The day we all get a chance to make changes and start fresh. Shattered dreams, failures, lack of motivation and lack of inspiration are all in the past. If you want an excuse to do things right and rise above, today is the day you get your second chance (or 30th, like me).
We all have too many reasons to lose that motivation "to get things done". But today, I sit here finding ways to help you (and myself) to stay motivated through the next 365 days. Here are 10 different options to pick from:
1. SIGN UP NOW! It's never too soon to sign up for that big race that will keep your eyes on the prize. I have planned a "mellow" schedule for this year. But today, I am registered for all 6 races I have on my calendar. Having something to train for will get you out the door.
2. PRESS PLAY AND GO. I have a specific "running" playlist depending on how long I'm running. I have a 60min playlist, a 90min one and so on. I just press play and I know I'll have the right music to keep me motivated. Make sure you at least have one playlist on your ipod that will keep you going.
3. EXPLORE THE WORLD. Try and map out your runs beforehand and explore new trails, paths or cities. Running the same loop over and over again will just make your training boring. Getting lost while on a long run may not be the worst thing that happens to you.
4. FIND A BUDDY. While I personally enjoy some alone time doing what I love most. I have all sorts of different running partners. The ones I run easy 30 minutes with. The ones that'll run an hour on a trail, but then there's also the ones that are willing to go out for multiple hours on a great adventure. They make me push harder.
5. MAKE YOUR DOG HAPPY. If you don't do it for you, do it for your furry friend. If you don't have one, get one. Dogs LOVE going out for some good runs. Click here to see which breeds are good for running.
6. QUICK AND PAINLESS. Ok, maybe painFUL. If you feel like you don't have time, try to get out for a quick 10 minute warm up and then do six to eight 200-meter repeats at your mile pace. Cool down 5 minutes and you're done. Make your short workouts worth it.
7. SEXUAL PERFORMANCE. I am not kidding. I keep reading over and over again on running magazines that "research shows" that exercise improves sexual performance. Research from all sorts of different universities. If you don't believe it, then give it a shot. It can't hurt, right?
8. GET IT DONE. If you continue to wait for the perfect time to run or the perfect day, you'll never get it done. Three years ago, a friend of mine said the training plan he downloaded from the internet started on a Tuesday, but 3 Tuesdays in a row it rained. He would just say: "he'd start next Tuesday". He never did. True story!
9. ATHLINKS IS YOUR FRIEND. There's such a thing as a website that compiles ALL your results and makes them available to anyone who searches. Your results will be there forever. Forever and ever. Get out now, you wouldn't want people looking at crappy results of yours, huh? (And yes, I AM GUILTY of stalking other people's results).
10. YOU WILL FEEL BETTER. There was NEVER a time when I finished a run and said: "I shouldn't have done that. That was really bad for me." Not all runs are great, but when you get it done you're always happy that you got out and tried: "Ugh, that sucked, but I'm glad I did it!".
Today I signed up for the last of my 6 races for this year and finalized the "new look" on my blog. I like sharing my running stories, struggles and successes with people which somehow keeps me accountable. And now, I should get going. I woke up to an email from Training Peaks saying I should go run Mt. Sanitas, I better get it done sooner that later.
What keeps you motivated?
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