Stay Motivated This Winter

As stress increases, should my running volume as well? No.

Dec 17, 2021

I’ve definitely had a few setbacks over the last month, most of which, believe it or not, have had nothing to do with any kind of running injury.

In the beginning part of this year, I was in a groove. I was able to take only one true day off every week. That means, six days a week, I was running at least 3 miles on my easy days and then a long run and a workout every week.

Consistent. Week in and week out. I was on auto-pilot.

The last few months of the year haven’t been as smooth. There are probably a dozen or so factors that have played into that, but the main thing that’s changed for me is a lack of a clear-cut goal.

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A post shared by Marc Pelerin | NJ Run Coach (@trainwithmarc_llc)

Without a goal, I downshifted to 5 days of running per week and even then, sometimes it was only 4 depending on what came up.

And forget about the last 4 weeks. There’s a reason why I haven’t written in as many weeks… Our house has had a string of timely and weekly illnesses that have knocked a different person out of commission for at least a few days.

So my routine is off, my flow is off, and with quite a few nights sleeping less than a few hours each night, it really has been a survive-at-all-costs.

In other (silly) news:

My streak of more than 10,000 steps in a day ended last week - 1,669 straight days.

Fall marathons are over, but spring marathon training starts now! Sign up for a training plan here.

Friday’s Action Plan:

Training is ebbs and flows. You can’t be ‘on’ 365 days a year.

What’s Got My Attention:

Article: How to Stay Motivated After Completing a Fitness Goal

Article: Should You Wear Super Shoes for Long Runs

Popular Newsletter Sessions:

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Quote of the Day:

The less time you spend making excuses, the more time you can spend working for your goals.

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Thanks for following along on the journey! Have something you’d like to add? Have suggestions or comments? Email me: TrainwithMarc@gmail.com

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Marc is a middle school teacher and coach but also works with distance runners online. I help distance runners around the globe by providing support, writing customized training plans, and designing workouts to help them reach their racing goals. I write for my blog every Wednesday morning and newsletter every Friday morning.

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