In deciding what to write about I feel it’s an appropriate topic on staying motivated to complete those late season/year goals and aspirations. We’ve been training so hard and racing for the better half of the year. Now with the days getting shorter and cooler weather rolling in it’s incredibly easy to put off that workout and ignore that training plan… just this once…

Well once turns into again.. and again.. and again!

I’m not trying to say you can’t take time off, in fact I would encourage it. If you start to lose your motivation that could be a sign of over training and will result in burnout or poor race performance. But take time off in the smart way, Trying something different, like kayaking or canoeing.. mountain biking, Pilates, yoga.. anything that gets you moving but is not the same swim, bike, run routine.

Another step to give yourself that last push, schedule your workouts now before you conveniently forget about them. Look at your goal, maybe it’s a marathon this winter, or that one last tri. Put it on your calendar and fill in all the space in between with the workouts you will do. When you pencil these in, you’re less likely to not do them, especially when you know they’re coming and can plan around your training. This reduces those excuses for you to not have time when these are already planned. Instead, you don’t have time to spend that full afternoon on the couch. (That day is coming soon, don’t worry!)

Going along with scheduling your workouts, keep up with your progress. When you see your results on paper you realize just a little bit more just how awesome you’re doing. Also, look at the big picture. If you had a rough week and only ran 4 miles in 3 days of a given week, flip it around an look at the fact that you ran 12 miles that week.. almost a half marathon! Or maybe you had some bad runs but you really had that awesome run where your pace was better than usual with little effort. Concentrate on that workout and know that typically there is that star workout each week. Nobody has perfect workouts every day. We all struggle at times!

Next, one of my favorite methods to encourage me to keep going, reflect on what you have accomplished already. Rather it’s a PR or your first race, surely you’ve done something this year you can look back on and remember how great that felt. Maybe not in the exact moment when you’re racing and asking yourself, “Why in the hell am I here?!” But after it’s all said and done, and the pain subsides, you achieved an accomplishment and that’s an amazing feeling! Use this to fuel your desire to achieve more!

If all else fails, find a training buddy to help you stay on track. Agree to keep each other motivated and on task to not miss workouts. Sure things happen, people get sick, etc. but when you know somebody is waiting on you and potentially looking forward to company on the long run or bike ride and the comfort of safety in numbers, you’ll be less likely to put off the workout.

Now comes the best part of motivation. When your goals are attained, races are done.. Reward yourself!!! Take time off, except this time take full time off.. sit on that couch for a bit, have that piece of cake (or whatever your vice may be). Reflect on what you achieved and what you did to get there. This is also a great time to consider your training and make note of what worked and what did not work. Don’t stay dormant for too long. Start to think about next year and know the sooner you begin to work on that base and prepare, the better the performance will be..

These are just a few ideas on how to keep moving late in the year, always keep it fun no matter what. If you’re really just losing all steam and simply cannot find the energy, rest and adjust your goals. We’re all in this because we enjoy it; once you make it more a chore than an activity it loses that exciting appeal.

Train hard but have fun and stay safe..