Keeping your Motivation up When the Weather Goes Down—Transitioning into Fall Running.
I always find it inspiring when the snow melts in the spring and the days get longer the number of runners on the streets increases ten-fold. The streets and trails are more populated and new people tend to take up the sport each season. However once the leaves start to fall, the mornings and evenings get darker, the kids are back in school and programs start up, keeping up that running routine can become more of a challenge for some. Here are a few tips for maintaining the desire and drive to get out the door when Summer turns to Fall.
- Look at how far you have come. It’s no secret that one’s fitness starts to decline within 2 weeks of inactivity. If you started a running program in the spring/summer, or recently completed your big fall goal event, now is not the time to hang up the running shoes. After a big event or goal, it is a great time to go into recovery and rejuventation mode, but that does not necessarily mean planting your butt on the couch and eating bon bons. Sure do it for the first few days after your big event is over if you crave that type of reward, but keep moving albeit at a reduced load to allow your tissues and your brain to recover fully, but not allow your fitness level to decline to the point where you need to start from zero. (Exception to the rule if you are rehabbing a serious injury that has derailed your season, by all means take whatever break is necessary to heal).
Replace your shoes. Hopefully you purchased a new pair of shoes for your spring and summer training. This means it’s time to relegate those to gym and grocery store wearing and invest in a new pair for fall/winter. The life of your running shoes is shorter than you might think. On average, plan to replace them every 5-6 months and sometimes sooner depending on the type of shoe, your run style, wear pattern and mileage put on them. Regardless of how comfy they feel it is the stuff in the middle (midsole) that you can’t see breaking down. Also, new models come out in the fall and some fun colors (but we all know we don’t buy shoes for their colour ). I always find that a run feels that much more exciting and motivating when I have a new pair on.
3. Dress appropriately. Feeling too cold or too hot on a run is not fun. It took me a few years to figure out what to wear depending on the weather. A good rule of thumb is to add approximately 10 degrees onto the air temperature to determine what you should wear. Your body heats up fast. My shorts and t-shirt limit is 10C. For others it’s 0C! When the weather gets colder, having a few essential pieces can make all the difference between a great run and a run where all you can think about is getting warm. Check out Mizuno’s Breath Thermo : the idea behind Breath Thermo is exactly what its name implies. Breathable yet warm. It works with your body’s heating and cooling system to keep you dry and warm without over heating . Mizuno makes many of their fall and winter pieces using this material. Tights in both heavy and lighter weights, tops, jackets and accessories. If you don’t own any as of yet, you have not experienced the best thing in fall/winter running on the market. I purchased my first Breath Thermo base layer about 4 years ago and it has stood up to many miles while running and cycling. (Check out the newest Breath Thermo hoody here – http://bit.ly/1BJzCMJ)
4. Stick to your routine. Whether you are a morning or evening runner, the amount of light at those times is getting less and less with each passing week. I love morning activity, so my key is not to stay in bed past the first few bars of the song my alarm plays. If you think about how dark and cold it is chances are you will stay snug in your bed instead of heading out for your run. The other thing I do is lay my clothes out the night before. I also lay out all the things I may need like my gloves, Road ID, IPod, pre run snack etc. That way, I am up and out the door before I can think about it. The same should go for evening runners. Pack your things for work, or have them at the door when you get home. NO excuses. Once you get out the door and into the fresh air and free thinking that running allows, you won’t want to turn back. It’s always those first few minutes upon rising for the early morning runner which are the hardest. Think about how good you feel when you are out there and when you get home and have accomplished what you set out to do.
5. Find a buddy/Sign up for a spring race. Nothing keeps people from getting out the door for a run like having a buddy to meet or a goal to achieve come spring or late winter. Find a friend willing to brave the elements with you and you will more than likely keep your running routine alive come winter. Sign up for a run clinic, hire a coach, find a new race distance or challenge yourself to an old one. Having a goal for is motivation to keep the running alive.
So there you have my tips for keeping the motivation high when the summer wanes. I just returned to some walk/running after my long 4 months lay off from injury. You can bet I am using more than one of these tips to keep me getting out the door. Not that I need too much motivation after having 4 months off!
See you on the roads.
Elise
Elise is a long time competitive amateur triathlete and Physiotherapist with 20+ years experience treating runners and athletes of all kinds. She also has an online coaching business for runners and triathletes looking to reach that next distance goal or PB. She is very passionate about biomechanics in running and does gait analysis and shoe recommendations as part of her practice. Elise also has a self admitted running shoe and apparel fetish. She is mom to an active 10 year old girl and is married to a man who also runs and races.