Running in the wind, on hills and at altitude is a different experience than running inside on my treadmill at sea level, but that is how my running experience has changed these days. Every part of me wanted to stop and walk in the middle of my run yesterday, but I had two things going for me that helped me to complete the run.
1. The goal that I had set for the day was to run the entire length that had been prescribed. I have adopted a new running schedule that will prep me to be able to run a ½-marathon by August, and I have laid out on my calendar the expected mileage for any given day.
And, 2. A friend of mine, in Minnesota, has also started the training program so that the two of us can run the race together.
Everyone needs goals, and I am finding that it is increasingly important for me to have someone to whom I am accountable. Goals keep us moving in a direction toward what we want to achieve, but a general goal is not as effective as a specific one. If I say to myself, I want to run 4 days a week, I find that I am not as motivated as I am when I say, “I need to run 4 miles on Thursday”. Breaking it down, for me, is much more effective. I am a list-maker, by nature, so when I have on my daily itinerary that I have to complete 4 miles, I push myself to do it, because I don’t like leaving unfinished activities on my calendar. If I had written, “prep for 1/2 –marathon”, I would not have been as motivated and, although I may have run, I don’t know that I would have run as long or stayed as motivated when the run got difficult.
It is the same way that players prepping in the off-season should approach a long training program. It is not productive to simply say to yourself, “I want to be in shape by preseason.” That is a great long-term goal, but not specific enough to keep you motivated enough to do it. Lay out your goals by the week, and even better, by the day. What do you want to accomplish for your workout, today? How long do you want to run, how much do you want to lift? Which day can you put aside for your rest? Be specific with how you lay out your workout plan, and you’ll find it easier to complete those smaller goals.
When I played competitively, I was continually pushed to work hard by my younger sister. She and I both played, and then when we were home from college, we trained together. I took for granted her presence in my workouts and my goal-setting, because I always had someone to whom I felt accountable. The days I didn’t feel like running for 45-minutes, she often found a way to motivate me, and vice versa, and our sprints were more effective because we could push each other.
It is ideal to find a friend, or just a motivated workout partner to help you through the daily grind. It is, of course, not always possible to convince someone to work out as hard as you’re going to need to on a regular basis, but it is worth your effort to keep looking for some accountability. Check up on your teammates, or give a friend or parent the assignment of “workout warrior”. Tell them that you need to be asked every once in a while how your workouts are going, and then make it a priority to be able to tell them that you did it, and that this Tuesday was better than last Tuesday.
If you haven’t been setting small goals for yourself, make that a goal this week.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
