It’s that time of year again – the winter season is upon us, and it seems all too easy to curl up inside by the radiator rather than brave the cold weather.
But there are many benefits to keeping your training going through the winter – it keeps you healthy, it prepares you for any early spring races, and it keeps you ticking over so you can ramp up the intensity with ease at the start of the season.
Here are our top tips on keeping up the motivation when the weather is against us:
1. Find a buddy
Whether a family member, friend or even a dog, having someone to commit to training with makes it easier to turn up. If you’re prone to cancelling plans with yourself – definitely find someone to keep you accountable!
2. Share your progress
If you can't find a training buddy or you prefer to train on your own, share your progress on social media and ask your friends or followers to hold you accountable if you start to drop off.
3. Layer up with the right gear
Getting your kit right for winter training is half the battle - if you head in the incorrect gear, you're almost guaranteeing a more miserable and difficult training session. Check out our posts on winter gear for runners and cyclists for your training checklist.
4. Invest in gear you want to show off
If you put some investment behind some quality, good looking kit, you’re more likely to want to get up for that early morning run and show it off! (Even if it’s just to your dog)
5. Have a warm treat waiting for you at the end
On the coldest days, why not reward yourself with a warm treat? We love our Recovery Drink made into a hot chocolate or a steamy mug of ZERO Protect!
6. Sign up to a race
One sure way of keeping up the motivation is to have a clear goal to work towards. With a race date set in stone, it’ll be harder to make excuses to skip training… especially if you want to beat a PB!
7. Get your training plan down
Whether or not you have a race to look forward to, it can help to plan out your schedule ahead of time. That means when it comes to training time, you don’t have to think too hard about what you should be doing.
8. Make a plan for bad weather
Sometimes it just really is too miserable outside to go for a ride. If the weather is making it dangerous to go out and train, make a plan for staying in. Whether that’s hitting the turbo or treadmill with Netflix, or doing some core or strength training, have some ‘bad weather plans’ set out in advance.
9. Prepare your kit the night before
If you choose to train in the mornings, lay out your kit ready so you have less time to think about the weather outside and you can just get up and go.
10. Plan in rewards
Planning in rewards is an easy way to stay motivated in the long term. Figure out what works for you – whether it’s that a Christmas present for yourself or a well-earned Sunday lunch!
11. Figure out what time of day works best for you
Sometimes no matter how hard you try to train in the morning it might just not work for you! If you struggle to wake up and go out, try the other times of the day, such as lunch time or after work.
12. Keep it short and high intensity
When the weather is at it’s worst, it’s no time for long runs or rides. Keep your heart rate up and training time down to make sure you’re not getting too wet or cold for too long.
13. Don't feel bad about giving yourself a day off
At the end of the day… winter is a difficult season to train through! Whether holiday plans get in the way or the dark and cold weather wins, don’t feel bad about taking a day off now and again.
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