I am a highschool runner. I just finished my junior cross country season, and am beginning my winter training plan in a week or so. Generally during offseasons I struggle to stay motivated and keep training, and I always regret it. How do you all stay motivated to continue your training?
Past regrets become motivation for future.
Just run, BABY!
Get it done!
HSHELP wrote:
I am a highschool runner. I just finished my junior cross country season, and am beginning my winter training plan in a week or so. Generally during offseasons I struggle to stay motivated and keep training, and I always regret it. How do you all stay motivated to continue your training?
A few things I would recommend:
1. Set a difficult, but attainable goal for outdoor. For example, a 4:30 miler might set a goal to run a 4:15 outdoors. A 5:00 miler might set a goal of 4:40.
2. Create a plan to achieve that goal. It doesn't need to be a training plan, but rather a "life" plan. For example, "I am going to run 6 days a week every week until outdoor". "All of my easy runs are going to be at least an hour unless I am injured". "I am going to average 60 miles a week until outdoor". "I am going to get 8 hours of sleep every night until outdoor". Combine a few of these type of statements and you have your plan.
3. Get a buddy. It can be one friend, your girlfriend, your dad, your whole team, anybody. They can be faster than you, slower than you, it doesn't matter. The important thing is that you will both commit to meet every day and work together to achieve your goals. The best buddy would be a teammate with the same background and goals as you, but like I said, it can be anybody you want.
Do these 3 things, and you will run very very fast in outdoor.
Set a goal. Weekly, daily, longer term. It doesn't even have to be directly associated with running. For example, I tell myself that if I run 30 miles this week, I will alow myself to cancel my Saturday restaurant date and instead order 3 hookers, 3 bottles of Howler Head whiskey and get a 5-star hotel for a sensational weekend rendezvous.
write/type what daily workouts for the week, tape it to your mirror. Do that workout for that day. Don't think about it, just do it. Some days it snows/rains just do the workout. Some workouts will suck, just do the damn workout. That's it, no secret sauce
A good coach and good teammates will help. If you don't have the teammates then be one. Reach out to your teammates and run together.
Have a goal in mind for your next season, whether that would be running a certain time or place in a key race. Love the process of training. That's it.
Maybe you’d rather be doing something else.
HSHELP wrote:
I am a highschool runner. I just finished my junior cross country season, and am beginning my winter training plan in a week or so. Generally during offseasons I struggle to stay motivated and keep training, and I always regret it. How do you all stay motivated to continue your training?
You asking that question, makes me think you don't have it in you to be a distance runner. Not everyone does, so there's no need to take my post as an insult.
SDSU Aztec wrote:
HSHELP wrote:
I am a highschool runner. I just finished my junior cross country season, and am beginning my winter training plan in a week or so. Generally during offseasons I struggle to stay motivated and keep training, and I always regret it. How do you all stay motivated to continue your training?
You asking that question, makes me think you don't have it in you to be a distance runner. Not everyone does, so there's no need to take my post as an insult.
Agreed. When you're passionate about what you're doing, motivation isn't a problem.
Motivation follows action. You will never become successful at anything without taking action.
Just start running or ask for help. People can go for days/months not feeling motivated. Some goals are hard, some goals take years and multiple stages to achieve. There’s isn’t always this golden goose of passion driving us forward every day. Some days we have to put our heads down and grind.
https://www.self-help-and-self-development.com/action-quotes.html
SDSU Aztec wrote:
HSHELP wrote:
I am a highschool runner. I just finished my junior cross country season, and am beginning my winter training plan in a week or so. Generally during offseasons I struggle to stay motivated and keep training, and I always regret it. How do you all stay motivated to continue your training?
You asking that question, makes me think you don't have it in you to be a distance runner. Not everyone does, so there's no need to take my post as an insult.
Imagine if everyone quit when they have a motivational problem. There would be zero distance runners. No one is motivated 100% of the time every single day.
Winter training makes spring champions.
Plus, running in the winter can be fun, particularly in the snow.
HSHELP wrote:
I am a highschool runner. I just finished my junior cross country season, and am beginning my winter training plan in a week or so. Generally during offseasons I struggle to stay motivated and keep training, and I always regret it. How do you all stay motivated to continue your training?
You're struggling to stay motivated because you just finished a long cross country season where you've been training for 5 months and competing for 3 months. Mentally and physically, you can't sustain that indefinitely.
So dump the whole "winter training plan" thing for now. Winter starts Dec. 21. Until then, just go out and run every day. No set mileage, time, or pace required. No workouts. Just go explore new routes. If it's raining, run less. If the weather's nice, run more. Let how you feel dictate the pace. Run with your friends if you enjoy that, but just spend a couple months running as much as you want and enjoying it. Once you get to January, you'll be better able to judge what you need to do to get ready for March, and probably a lot more motivated to do it.
coachy wrote:
SDSU Aztec wrote:
You asking that question, makes me think you don't have it in you to be a distance runner. Not everyone does, so there's no need to take my post as an insult.
Imagine if everyone quit when they have a motivational problem. There would be zero distance runners. No one is motivated 100% of the time every single day.
People with a passion for distance running are motivated to run every day and many of them run twice a day during the off-season. If it's a struggle to get out the door, a person doesn't have to quit the sport but it's unlikely they will ever be consistent with their training. I can't imagine a runner that loves the sport, letting a day go by without going for a run.
Race at least once a month, either indoors or on the roads, it helps to keep motivated when you always have a semi near race on the horizon. It also helps you see where your fitness is. I think for high school runners of season road/trail races is one of the better ways to stay motivated. It is also the case that you probably have a better chance of being competitive at one of these races than in season races, which tends to be fun.
What offseason?
flyingfrog wrote:
write/type what daily workouts for the week, tape it to your mirror. Do that workout for that day. Don't think about it, just do it. Some days it snows/rains just do the workout. Some workouts will suck, just do the damn workout. That's it, no secret sauce
+1. Flip your mind into this mode and just do it. Watching Rocky helps imo.
coachy wrote:
SDSU Aztec wrote:
You asking that question, makes me think you don't have it in you to be a distance runner. Not everyone does, so there's no need to take my post as an insult.
Imagine if everyone quit when they have a motivational problem. There would be zero distance runners. No one is motivated 100% of the time every single day.
Actually SDSU Aztec is right for once. Longtime runners don't have "motivational problems."
Unmotivated for the entire winter season? Sorry you just aren't a runner.
What exactly is preventing you from being motivated? Is it the weather? Lack of teammates to train with? Also how is your winter training structured? Are you training together as a team or solo?
If it is the winter weather that is holding you back, make sure that you have appropriate clothing and shoes to make winter running comfortable. If you are struggling training solo, I would suggest listening to music during your runs. I know some letsruners are against this idea, but for many runners listening to music is great motivator when having to run alone. Similarly another suggestion that might help motivation would be to try taking new running routes. Also you could try taking up XC skiing to supplement your offseason running. Much more fun that running on the treadmill if the roads are too slippery. A great aerobic workout too!