It’s that time of year again! No, we don’t mean the holidays. It’s the season of limited daylight, a lack of foliage, and temperatures that make you wonder if things will ever be warm again. The winter is in full swing, and unless you’re the type to retreat to the treadmill in the frigid temperatures, you’ll be getting your run done in the cold.
But the real problem isn’t the cold itself… it’s finding the motivation to leave the warmth of your home for the cold streets or trails. If your motivation is dropping just as fast as the temperatures, don’t worry you’re not alone! But what can you do about it?
The Novant Health Charlotte Marathon Ambassadors are pros at completing training runs in the cold and they’ve got a few secrets to share with you. Let’s stay motivated runners!
Holiday Scavenger Hunt
The falling temperatures may put a dent in your motivation, but they also signal the start of the holiday season. Use that to your advantage, create a list of some of your favorite holiday decorations and see if you can find them on your run. If you don’t, then you’ll just have to keep looking on your next run!
Have a Run for Lunch
Are you still working from home? In our increasingly digital society if you are working from home, and can spare a lunch break, consider running during the warmest part of the day. It may still be freezing, but the difference between running at 1pm and 7pm is quite literally night and day!
Reward Yourself
Have you been waiting to try that new Starbucks winter drink, or maybe you aren’t sure you deserve that steak dinner you’ve been thinking about, why not bet your run on it? Motivation to go run in the cold doesn’t always have to come from internal will power. Bribes aren’t always bad!
Signup for a Spring Race
We all know that it’s easier to train with a goal in mind and that goes doubly if you are training for a race that is coming up quickly. Sign up for a spring race and you will definitely get out on the road for your training runs. No one wants to run a race unprepared. This is doubly motivating if you sign up for the race with a friend!
Meet Up With Friends
An oldie but a goodie. We all know that the best motivation for running in the cold, the heat, a long run, a short run, or any other run is bringing a friend along. If your friends aren’t up for running in the cold, running with a run club is also a great alternative. Misery really does love company!
Are you still here? With all of that running motivation you should be out there logging those cold miles. A special thanks to the Novant Health Charlotte Marathon Ambassadors for sharing some of their winter running tips and tricks. Remember that winter training makes spring PRs so keep at it and don’t let your motivation fall with the temperatures. Stay safe and stay warm (as warm as you can)!