Consistency. The key to training. $500 Tracksmith Giveaway!!!

Don’t miss out on the incredible giveaway from Tracksmith at the end of the post!! We will be talking about #nodaysoff today!!!!!

I’ve loved fitness for a long time now.  I can remember as a teenager making it my goal to be a fitness instructor (and I did for most of my 20s) when I saw my older sister teach a few step classes.  I tried out a few different majors in college and then decided on becoming a health and PE teacher because I LOVE sharing my passion of exercise with others.  I have written about fitness/exercise daily for over 5 years now and plan on running until I am a great great great grandma:)  Long story short I love being active and especially running.  I love the way it makes me feel, I love the emotional/physical/spiritual benefits that I gain from running and I love the alone time it gives me to do something hard and to accomplish goals.  

That being said, after years of running/working out, running has become just part of my daily schedule BUT there are still days that I have to make a choice to work out or not.   There are days that I have to convince myself to start (like what I talked about this last Sunday) or days that I wonder why I keep running after setbacks of injuries or bad races.  There are days that I’m exhausted, sore or plain old lazy and staying in bed and then visiting IHOP for some pancakes sounds like a much better idea.   For me, I know that staying consistent with my exercise is key.  I know that if I stay consistent and commit to my fitness goals and routine that I will feel better and reach some of those running dreams I have set for myself.   Staying consistent sounds a whole lot easier to me than going hard for a few weeks and then stopping only to lose my fitness and then trying to build it back up all over again.  I would much rather keep my base and then gain fitness in preparation for races throughout the year.  Even when I am injured and can’t run I love to keep up with my exercise routine because I like to stay in the habit of working out (doing things that my doctor approves) so that when I can run again I am used to being consistent still and I have a base to build upon.  

I am pretty positive that every running coach out there would agree that CONSISTENCY is the most important part of every training program.  If we are looking to improve our running then consistency is the first place to start!

Love this quote from Hansons Half Marathon Method: 

“Physiologically speaking, inconsistency in training makes for a never-ending struggle to maintain even a baseline of fitness.  While adaptations can occur rapidly with proper training, they can also be lost with just a couple of weeks of inconsistent running.  For instance, if you train 5 days a week for 3 weeks, a noticeable improvement in fitness will take place; if, however, those weeks are followed by 2 weeks of training only 2 or 3 days a week, your fitness gains will begin to retreat.  It then requires 2 more weeks of consistent running to get back to the previous level.  In the end, 6-8 weeks of running went by just to get you back to where you were at the third week.”  

If life intervenes, modify training, but don’t skip it.  Something is always better than nothing.  To achieve this consistency, you must establish attainable goals and plan ahead.  If you set your sights too high, you’re likely to get discouraged when you discover you have too much on your plate.  Conversely, if you set them too low, you get bored.”

A few of my tips for staying consistent with exercise:

-Don’t go hard every day!  Include a wide range of variety in your workouts that keep you mentally excited and physically able to keep going!  Including easy, medium and hard workouts will help you to avoid burnout while still gaining the benefits from exercise each day and seeing improvements!  If you are overworked, needing to recover after a race or injury/health problems then take it easy for a while until you can go again!

-Get a coach.  I love my running coach because he keeps me on track and motivates me to keep going.  Having someone to report back to about my workouts helps big time on the days that I simply don’t feel like starting my run. 

-SIGN-UP FOR RACES!!! Not that you have to be in race shape year round (I have highs and lows all year round with my training) but having some key races to work towards is huge to help with consistency.  You paid the money and you can’t let your pride down by skipping out on something you already signed up for;)

-Run with people.  During times when I am less motivated to stay consistent I make sure to plan lots of group runs:)  I look forward to catching up with my girlfriends and having people to meet helps me to get back in the habit of working out each day.  

-Lose the all or nothing feelings!  Moderation is the key and if you can’t get in your normal workout because life has taken over then go for a walk, do some core work before you go to bed, stretch out with yoga in the middle of the day.  It is hard to stay consistent with something when you pressure yourself that it has to be some HUGE ordeal each day and if you can’t go all out then why even try? Nope, just doing something to move your body is a heck of a lot better than nothing. 

-Find an example and lean on them until you get in the habit.  I started running with my sister when I was still pretty young and she was always very consistent with her running (and FIRM workout VHS tapes… do you remember those?).  Learning from her and having her as my example helped me to learn the idea of consistency and sticking with our fitness goals.  

-Fuel well.  Easier said then done, right?  BUT we are much more likely to stick with exercise when our bodies and minds feel great from eating good foods.  Breakfast is SO important to give us the energy we need to do our training!

-Strength train.  I’m just learning this one but strength training will help you to be able to stay consistent with your running so that your body is strong and less injury prone!

-Do what YOU do.  If you don’t like running (give it a fair shot though;) or the other popular forms of exercise right now then keep trying lots of different activities until you find the thing that makes you happy.  You are much more likely to stay consistent with exercise if you are doing something you love.  

Tracksmith is all about the idea of consistency and commitment to no days off from training which is one of the many many reasons that I love them!

I can’t help but absolutely love their logo, the incredibly soft/flexible/colors of their material and all of the details made especially for runners that go into each piece of their clothing!  Putting on their clothes feels like a treat which sure helps me to stay consistent ha… I really look forward to my runs when I get to wear this:)  

I LOVE their 365 tank and leggings!  The Tracksmith theme of No Days Off is not about being crazy/over the top with our exercise but about building a consistent routine of being active each day.  

It could be a 15 minute run or a 15 mile run, a strength class or a walk around the block.  I take EVERY Sunday off from running but I still love to spend a few minutes stretching, foam rolling or going for a short walk with the Brookers on my running rest days.  It’s about finding a balance with our current seasons of life and creating an everyday routine!

I feel like it is always a million times harder to keep up with our running during the winter but if we keep with up it will sure pay off in our spring/summer/fall races!  When spring rolls around running will feel like a piece of cake after all of the hard work and habits you’ve formed over the winter!

PS fun fact—>  Tracksmith headquarters is located at the halfway mark of the Boston Marathon! SO cool!!

This post was sponsored by Tracksmith!  Such an awesome brand for runners and I am so glad I have found them because their clothing feels amazing to run in and I love their support for staying consistent and committed to being active—>  RUN, RECOVER, REPEAT!!!

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