Five Ways to Stay Motivated During the Winter

(Guest Post by Joseph Havey and the Ninja Challenge)

It’s been a few weeks since New Year’s. The holidays are far behind us, and the summer is far ahead. If you feel like you’re in a “no-man’s-land” of motivation, you’re not alone.

Motivation to keep New Year’s resolutions often wanes after two weeks, and only eight percent of people actually accomplish their goals for the year, according to statistics. But there’s no reason you can’t be among those eight percent!

Listed below, are five ways that you can get back on track.

1. Surround yourself with the right crew:

You’re probably tired of the phrase “you’re the average of your five closest friends,” but it bears repeating because it’s so true. As science shows us, your friends have the largest impact on your actions, both negative and positive. Sometimes, they can impact your behavior more than your own spouse! We’re not telling you that you need to get rid of your “unmotivated” friends. Instead, try and find a new crew. Join a running club. Start a workout group at the office. Instead of meeting a friend for coffee, try meeting a friend for a walk. As the science shows, it’s much easier to make a positive change when everyone around you is doing the same thing. We all have at least one friend that is basically a “walking pep talk.” Get to know him or her better today.

2. Focus on the positive. Not the negative:

Have you ever tried to swear off “bad food” and quickly realized that chocolate, candy, chips and soda suddenly consumed your entire thought process? Or maybe, you threatened yourself with some type of punishment as a way to motivate yourself to workout (“If I don’t go for a run, I’m going to pay my friend $5…”) As it turns out, this doesn’t motivate people at all. In fact, it’s demotivating.

Miss a workout? Binge on chocolate cake? Skip an entire week of dieting and heading to the gym? Don’t worry about it. The worst thing you can do is fret over the mistakes you’ve already made. Instead, focus on the chance to make today better than yesterday. Think about how much fun you’ll have with your new running group. Think about how good you’ll feel after taking that workout class. Or about how yummy those roasted vegetables are going to taste! Focusing on the positive results of your goals is always more motivating that worrying about avoiding the negative consequences.

3. Reduce the size of your goals:

If you’re struggling with motivation, it may be because you haven’t seen much progress toward your goals. That could be a sign that your goal is either too big, too vague, or too complicated. We’re hardwired to avoid pain and uncertainty, so a vague goal is scary to our survival instincts.

Instead of focusing on trying to lose a large amount of weight or radically altering your diet, break it down. Write down every single step it will take to get to your goal, and complete one at a time. For example, if your goal is to “Start Running,” write out a plan that starts includes walking 30 minutes a day during lunch, finding a running group, buying running shoes, finding a local race (like the Ninja Challenge!), forming a weekly workout plan, etc. Make the steps super specific and knock them out one by one! Don’t worry about the end goal. Instead, focus on accomplishing each small step along the way.

4. Write everything down. Both before and after.

Many of us have our goals in mind, but few of us have them on a piece of paper. Believe it or not, putting your goals in ink is one of the fastest ways to boost motivation. But don’t stop there. According to research, you also should track your progress.

If you wrote out your goals last month, that’s great! You’re a step ahead. Now, it’s up to you to track your progress. You can do it daily, or even weekly, but you need to keep checking back to see how you did. Otherwise, you’re left with a vague and uncertain task, which we’ve already said is actually demotivating.

5. Treat failure as part of the process toward success.

The science surrounding failure is a little bit new, but it’s incredibly fascinating. Some of the most successful people in the world think about failure differently than most of us. In fact, instead of avoiding failure, they actually treat it as part of the process toward success. And science is finding that they are definitely onto something.

Successful businessmen -- ranging from Steve Jobs to Bill Gates -- have often bragged about having failed on their way to success. And as studies have shown, failure actually makes you more productive in the long run. It’s little wonder, then, why you shouldn’t fear failure. Instead, you should pursue it! Stop trying to have the perfect day, perfect workout, perfect diet, or perfect plan. Take joy in knowing that if you messed up, you’re actually closer to your success than before.

If you’re struggling with the motivation to keep your New Year’s resolutions, we hope the tips above can help. There’s nothing to be ashamed of if you fell off the wagon -- we all do sometimes.

To get back on track you should start small, write everything down, find some motivating friends, and expect to fail a few more times. This process repeats itself over and over, and before you know it, you’re well on your way to success! 

About the Ninja Challenge: The Ninja Challenge Obstacle 5K is designed to bring out your inner www.theninjachallenge.com.

ninja through obstacles that include climbing walls, throwing ninja stars, running on water, dodging ninjas, and more. This family-friendly event is held every year in Fuquay-Varina, and is locally-owned and supported. It’s perfect for first-time racers of all age ranges, and we often have competitors ranging from 8 to 80 years old. A portion of all proceeds benefit the Triangle Aquatic Center and the Triangle Red Cross to help promote drowning prevention and safety. The 2016 Ninja Challenge Obstacle 5K will be held in Raleigh, NC on May 21, 2016. To register, please visit www.theninjachallenge.com.

Complete the raffle below for a chance to win a free race entry to the Ninja Challenge, The raffle ends on Feb. 24th and the winner will be announced on the blog on Feb 25th.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Twitter Road Race

Doug Cassaro

The following is being reposted from fellow blogger Doug Cassaro's blog-I don't wear headphones when I run.It's such a great idea I thought I'd share his idea by reposting it on RunnerDude's Blog. Read on to learn about the Twitter Road Race..... 

If you're like me, you're always trying to find a way to keep running fresh. You run a different route. You hit the trails instead of the road. You run in the morning instead of the evening. You join a running group. The list goes on and on. 

I got to thinking about how it would be fun to combine the camaraderie of road racing with the powers of Twitter...a twitter road race! 

Thanks to everyone's amazing feedback on Twitter, the race is on! Those that are interested in participating can register here. The 1st Twitter Road Race is going to be held on Saturday, January 21st. Race distance is a 5K. 

So, what do you do on race day? Simple, head out the door and run the race distance! Choose which ever route you want. You get to decide how easy or hard the course is. 

When you finish, there will be a form similar to the one you used to register where you can record you finishing time. I will post that form as race day nears. To be classified as an "official" finisher, you MUST submit your time on the date of the race. Also, don't forget to tweet about your run using the hashtag #TwitterRoadRace so everyone can read how you did! 

I will post the results for the race within 24 hours. 

The goal of this race is to create a new and fun way to connect with all the awesome runners on Twitter. It's a way for us all to run together even though we might live on separate sides of the country. 

I welcome any and all comments/suggestions for this race. Please spread the word to all your followers on Twitter! I'm leaning on you guys to help get this race trending! Don't forget to use #TwitterRoadRace when you tweet! 

You guys rock! Can't wait for January 21st! Happy running! 

Doug
@seedouglasrun

The RunnerDudes Do Battle at Battle!

I try really hard to keep RunnerDude's Blog and RunnerDude's Fitness separate. From time to time, I'll mention my running and coaching business and today is one of those times that I'm beaming with so much pride that I just have to share.

Saturday, 20 of my runners participated in the Battle of the Triad Half Marathon and 5K in Kernersville, NC. This is a great race put on by our awesome local running store Off'n Running Sports. Eleven of the runners are from my current half and full marathon training program at RunnerDude's Fitness and the other nine runners are from my fitness walking and beginning running corporate programs over at Volvo Financial and Volvo Trucks. Nine of my half and full marathon trainees won or placed in their age group and six of the Volvo runners won or placed in their age group in the 5K. For most of the Volvo runners it was their very first 5K!

My half and full marathon trainees were under RunnerDude orders not to run the half any faster than their marathon race pace (my goal to keep injuries at bay, plus give them a chance to do a pretty long distance at their marathon race pace giving their bodies a chance to get acclimated to their race paces). So, no telling what they would have done if they had ramped it up to their half-marathon race paces.

Pictured above are my half and full marathon trainees who participated in Battle, many of them holding their hard-earned age division awards. So, proud of you guys!!!

If you're in the Greensboro area, I'd love to have you join us in some race training! Also, if you work at Volvo Financial or Volvo Trucks in Greensboro, our next Fitness Walking, Beginning Running, and Intermediate Running groups begin on September 12th! Email me at runnerdudeblog@yahoo.com if you're interested in joining one of the groups.

The 5K Race: Simple and Effective Training Tips

The 5K race. Many runners have a love hate relationship with this distance. On the one hand, it's a short race. If you're not too concerned with time, then most anyone with a basic fitness level can run or run/walk the distance. On the other hand, however, if you're racing it, it can be a grueling distance.

To race a 5K, you're pretty much in high gear the entire race. There's very little ramp-up time and very little room for any back-sliding. That however, is what appeals to many runners. They love the rush of adreniline and challenge that a 5K provides.

So how do you train for a 5K? There are a lot of different theories on training for a 5K, but the one common thread of most 5K training plans is speed work. I personally think that three types of runs are key to 5K training—Lactate Threshold Runs, Aerobic Power Runs, and Endurance Runs.

Lactate Threshold Runs are more commonly known as Tempo runs. Lactate has gotten a pretty bad rap over the years. Ever feel that deep down burning sensation in your legs when you've pushed the intensity of a run? That's due to the buildup of blood lactate (a waste product of the energy production). Because you've ramped up the intensity so quickly, the body isn't able to clear it out of the blood stream fast enough, so you feel a burning sensation and you begin to fatigue and slow down. What many runners don't know is that lactate can actually be used as a source of muscle fuel. The key is pushing out that lactate threshold. In other words pushing out the point at which you feel the burn. A great way to do that is through tempo runs. These are runs in which you run about 30seconds slower than your 10K race or at about 80-90% of your Max Heart Rate. So, it's a slightly uncomfortable run, but not a run where you're completely wiped-out at the end.

Typically a tempo run begins with a slow mile and then you pick it up to your tempo pace for a certain distance and then pull it back down to a slow pace again for the last mile. For example, in a 4-mile tempo run, you’ll run a slow 1-mile warm-up, 2 miles at tempo pace, and then a slow 1-mile cool-down.

Aerobic Power Runs are another great training tactic to help build speed as well as increase your body's ability to take in more oxygen that's utilized at the muscle level for energy production. Aerobic Power Runs are typically run as intervals on a track. The intervals are fast and usually run at 90% of your Max Heart Rate. Each interval is followed by an equal distance slow interval or equal time but slow interval. For example if you run a 3:30 800m, then you'd either slow-jog or walk another 800 or you'd slow-jog or walk for 3minutes 30 seconds. Typically, I recommend the same-distance-slow-recovery-interval for someone new to intervals. For a more experienced runner, I'd recommend the same-time-slow-recovery-interval. Running at this high intensity level with recovery intervals in between, helps your body's ability to take in more oxygen, get it into the blood stream, and down to the muscle where it's used to make energy. This is referred to as your VO2Max. For some sample interval workouts [click here].

Endurance Runs (or long runs) are also beneficial to 5K runners. Usually when you think of a long run, half-marathon or marathon-runners come to mind. Long runs can also benefit shorter-distance runners due to the muscle endurance-building benefits of the long run. "Long Run" is a relative term. Someone training for a 5K doesn't need a run as long as someone training for a marathon. Where a marathon runner may build up to a 20+ mile long run, a 6-, 7-, or 8-miler will suffice as a long run for a 5K runner. These runs are to be run at an easy converational pace, usually about a minute to 1.5 minutes slower than race pace. Think endurance-building, not speed for these runs.

One more workout that I like to throw into the mix is what I call a 1-Mile Pacing Workout. This strategy is great for 5K runners as well as young cross country runners who need help with consistent pacing. This workout is similar in structure to an interval workout, but it doesn't have to be run on a track. It also is similar to a fartlek which is when a runner adds bursts of speed (a fartlek) into a regular run. Unlike these runs though, a 1-mile pacing workout will help a 5K runner do three things:

1. Learn the feel of his/her race pace.
2. Have more evenly paced splits.
3. Experience running consecutive race-pace miles.

Often, because a 5K race is so short, runners will bolt out at the start with an amazing (but unrealistic) pace that they're unable to maintain for the course of the race. Or, they'll start out too slow, only to need a miracle to get that last mile up to the pace they need to achieve the desired finish time.

The 1-mile pacing workout will help a runner achieve a more evenly-paced run which will often result in having a little left in reserve at the end, so if desired, he/she can pull out the stops during that last tenth of a mile for a fast finish.

First the runner needs to determine the desired race time goal. For an example, let's say a runner want' to achieve a 21:00 5K. His 1-mile pacing workout would look like the following.

5-10-minute warm-up jog

1-mile at a 7:00min pace

4:00min recovery run at slow pace

1-mile at a 7:00min pace

4:00min recovery run at slow pace

1-mile at a 7:00min pace
5-10-minute cool-down jog

During the next 1-mile pacing workout, the runner repeats the same workout, but decreases the recover runs to 3-minutes. During the next workout, the recover runs decreased to 2-mintues, then 1-minute, and eventually to 0 mins and the runner will be doing three consecutive 7-minute miles.

Note: If your goal is to run a 21:00 5K, but you're not yet capable of running a 7:00 mile, then your initial set of workouts should be at a pace you can run. So, maybe you begin with 8:00miles and once you can do three 8-minute miles consecutively, then you can go to a series of workouts running 7:30-minute miles and so on until you get down to the 7:00 minute pace.

The Great Pumpkin Run!

If you live in the Triad, NC area, be sure to mark your calendar for the upcoming 4th Annual Great Pumpkin Run 5K and 1 Mile Walk! Proceeds from the run will benefit the
Disciple Bible Outreach Ministries of NC, Inc.

There will be a prize for the runner in the best Halloween costume and relay races and games for the younger crowd. Following the run there will be refreshments, a drawing for door
prizes and an Awards Ceremony.

For more information [click here].

Great Local 5K in September!

If you live in the Triad, NC area (High Point, Greensboro, Winston Salem), or anywhere for that matter, mark your calendar for September 25th. That's the date of The Lion's Rip Rourin' Run/Walk for Vision & Hearing 5K taking place in Country Park in Greensboro, NC, presented by the Greensboro Lions Club in partnership with Precision Timing Systems.

The 5K "Safari Run" course will take runners around the Country Park Lake loop, continuing on a challenging trail, and then finishing behind the Lewis Recreation Center. The Walk will circle the Country Park Lake loop twice. To register for the race [click here]. If you have questions about the event, contact Joy Reavis at joyreavis@triad.rr.com.

Created in 1917, the Lions Club is the world’s largest non-profit service organization and provides financial support and services to the visually and hearing impaired. The Greensboro Lions Club supports projects such as NC Eye and Human Tissue Bank, clinical eye research at Duke and Wake Forest, and the Boys and Girls Home at Lake Waccamaw, in addition to providing eyeglasses, financial assistance for eye surgery, and hearing aids to those less fortunate. For more information, including how you can become a member, please visit http://www.gsohostlions.org/.

DID YOU KNOW that every 7 minutes, someone in the U.S. will become blind or visually-impaired? About 175,000 people in NC are blind or visually impaired and about 28 million Americans have hearing loss and only 1 out of 5 use a hearing aid. You can help by participating in the 2010 Lion’s Rip Roarin’ 5k Race/Walk for Vision & Hearing. Every gift of $100 can help someone less fortunate in our community with—free eyeglasses or hearing aid, or free eye or ear exam.

Before you head to the race, dig around in that junk drawer and BRING YOUR OLD EYEGLASSES to recycle! Look for the Collection Box or give them to a Lions member.