Tales from the Grateful Runner...

Mentally Getting Through the Dog Days of Training

We are a little over half-way through training for Boston. At this point, you have all endured many challenges – the weather has gone from bad to worse, your free time may be close to non-existent, and your aches and pain are probably a little more noticeable following your long runs. This is the usual time during the training season where many runners find it difficult to maintain focus and motivation. We are sick of the cold and snow and just want Marathon Monday to be here already

To help stay on track over the next 2 months, be sure to think about your long term goal – what are you trying to accomplish on race day? Is it to simply finish? Is it to finish in a particular time? When you know what you would like to accomplish, you’ll be more motivated and focused to work on achieving that goal.

Another way to stay motivated during the “dog days” of training is to challenge yourself every day you train. Identify a purpose for why you are training each day. Is it to run faster during a speed workout? Is it to incorporate one extra hill repeat? Is it to run one more mile during a weekly run? Is it to test out new shoes? Even your day off should have a purpose – perhaps the challenge is to find time to stretch, eat clean/healthy, or simply let your body repair itself.

Every challenge provides you an opportunity to refocus and maintain the drive to push yourself further both mentally and physically on every run as Marathon Monday approaches.