Hi Folks!! As this week wraps up, I’m super-excited to introduce you to another one of my blogger friends and a member of the Fitbloggin family…. I met Lauren this summer in Savannah, and I had the pleasure of dining with her a few nights and connecting on healthy living topics.
But, it wasn’t until I got home, started following her blog and Instagram, that I realized how incredibly passionate she was about running! When I was putting together my “Fabulously on the Move” series this winter, I knew that Lauren would be the perfect person to share some tips on staying motivated while hitting the pavement. Thanks, Lauren, for sharing your passion with us!
Hello, I’m Lauren, a Charm City runner, semi-health nut, foodie, and sweet tooth who blogs over at Breathe Deeply and Smile. I started running in the summer of 2011 to lose some weight post-college and motivated myself by signing up for a 5K that Fall. Once I started running I was hooked! I ran my first and second half marathons in the fall of 2012, and my first full marathon in the fall of 2013. It may surprise you that I started out running all by myself with pretty much zero knowledge about running or racing.
Today, I’ve got some tips for new runners on how to stay motivated. Motivation is especially important if you live in a place like I do where winter can be brutal, and it’s far too easy to stay in your cozy sweatpants on the couch instead of going for a run. If you made a new year’s goal to starting running or get in shape, make sure it’s something you will stick with by staying motivated!
1. Create a goal. Whether it’s a race, an amount of time,or x number of miles, create some running goals. I personally always found that having a big, fun race to look forward to gets me out the door and running! You can find races at Gametiime.com, Active.com, or RunningintheUSA.com.
Log mileage in a notebook like I do or use websites like Daily Mile, Strava, or Instagram to hold yourself accountable and get some encouragement from others.
2. Make running a social activity. When I joined a running group through my local running store and made runner friends, it made marathon training so much easier. Find some friends that have the same fitness goals and make it a running date. Search for local running groups or talk to people at your local sports stores to see what’s out there. When you have friends to meet up with and talk to, getting in the miles isn’t as hard.
3. Gear up! A new pair of shoes or flashy pair of workout pants is always sure to make me excited to get in the gym. If you’re a brand new runner, head to your local running store and get fitted for running shoes because good shoes means happy feet! It can even be fun to reward yourself with new gear after hitting a goal or a milestone run.
4. Follow a training plan. Focus on one thing at a time. Along with creating a goal, it’s important to know how to get there. There are multiple training plans online you can google, but when I first started out and had no idea about anything I downloaded one of Hal Higdon’s half marathon training plans. Having a plan makes it easy to focus on one run and day at a time. Be sure to allow room for rest and feel free to switch your plan around if you’d rather substitute your favorite Zumba class for an easy 3 mile run.
5. Keep it fun. Be flexible with your plans and goals and remember to have fun. Use your runs as time for yourself to think, to jam out to music, or even to forget everything that happened that day.
Here’s a few ways that you can follow Lauren: Breathe Deeply and Smile Blog, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.
Want to Read More in this Series?
Learning to Love Spin featuring Ashley from Coffee Cake and Cardio
Conquering 60 Miles for a Cause featuring Alyssa from Double Chin Diary and LaLaLyssa
Yoga for Beginners featuring Jess from Racing to Zen