Struggling to find the motivation to run at the minute because of the freezing weather outside? You’re not the only one. Here are 10 ideas to keep in mind to help you survive the brutal winter season.
- Keep an eye on the weather forecast and plan your running around it in the winter months – Be sure to run when the weather is good as it is even harder to motivate yourself when it’s pissing down outside.
- Winter running has potential – Because of the colder weather it can be easier to set personal bests. If it’s -15C outside, then your body needs to warmup somehow. It’s therefore easier to run at a higher intensity for longer. You could be missing out on some of your best runs if you lay on that extra hour in bed!
- If your morale is low because of the season, remember that it won’t always be winter – The long summer days are on their way around again (unless of course you live in Northern Ireland where summer exists only as a concept/in the movies). Plan a holiday and let the thought of that fuel you through your training.
Belfast – Mid-summer. - The winter months are a test of character – If you can run in the hard, cold, winter months then you’re a fucking badass and 2013 will be your bitch. Seriously though, this is as bad as it will get for you all year. Unless you live in Death Valley or Australia. Then you’re gonna struggle to run at any time without melting.
- Plan your season and book races for spring – Train with a specific goal in mind and it will shape your training and your life. You will want to run in the dark to hit your targets if you can see how it will all fit together.
- Don’t wait for New Years day to change your life – You won’t get your shit together all on one day. Change for the better now in small ways. Try to go a little further or faster on each run. Eat a little bit better. Remember as an evil Irish Communist once said ‘Nothing changes on New Year’s Day’. Change is a continual process that you have to embrace.
Will still be a cunt on January 1st whether he embraces change or not. - During the holiday season it is easy to fall into the all or nothing mindset trap – You cannot expect yourself to keep up with your normal running regime in the off season. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t run at all. Run for fun and let it add to the joy of winter! (thanks Mike Green!)
- Plan what you’re gonna wear the night before and set it aside – It is too easy to gaze outside in winter and think that it is too cold and head back off to bed. If you plan where you’re gonna run and for how long then you can fit the rest of your morning around the jog.
- Make sure you have access to a gym for when the cold weather really bites – There is no sense in running in extremely icy conditions, even if by nights you are a Mongolian figure skater. All it takes is for you to fall once to ruin next season for yourself. Be careful out there and don’t be afraid to mix it up with a gym visit once in a while!
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You will earn that warm bed one week – I don’t know about the rest of you but I plan to take off at least a week altogether and do nothing but lounge around. And I’ll have fucking earned it! But until then I’ll run while and where I can!
Related running posts:
- Jogging Outside In The Winter Time Can Prove To Be Ideal Race Preparation
- Running In The Rain And Wind Is Bad For You – At Least Mental Health Wise.
- A 7.1 Mile Run On A Dark Dark Winter Morning.
- 8 Points To Inspire You As A Runner Into Living A Better Life Both Today And Tomorrow.
by Matt the Angry Jogger
Matt lost 70lbs through running and has ran 13 half marathons and 4 full ones. He hates health freaks with a fucking passion and loves cheese and cider.
Of course, now your training programme has officially started, if you miss a single session, you are weaker than a six year old little girl crying for her mummy
Hope the chest’s right now.
I’m doing Marathon Talk’s Advent Challenge at the moment – it’s a nice way to shake you out of endless midpace plods and inject some surprise and variety into your running. https://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/marathontalk
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