By Coach Adolfo Salgueiro

As runners, we would all like to improve on a weekly or monthly basis. If we could set up PRs in all our trainings, races and in all our distances, why wouldn’t we? It must be a lot of fun. But the human body is not set up for an indefinite, upward linear progress. There comes a time when such progress wanes down. And there are also times when you get in a running rut.

Keeping the motivation alive is the key to the success of your running journey (Photo: run-ffwpu, Pexels)

It is easy to lace up and hit the asphalt or the trail when things are going well. When you are running in-the-zone, effortlessly, when the miles pile up without feeling them. But the key to becoming a successful and life-long runner is to be able to keep your motivation up when things are not going well. When you are injured, when you can’t figure out why your body doesn’t give you more than 4 miles, when it hurts just to think on putting on your running shoes, when everything just sucks.

 Fortunately, there are plenty of strategies to apply to keep that running journey alive. To get back to where you want to be. Here are eight of them:

 1 – Create feasible, short-term goals to keep you focused: Regardless of where you are on your journey, having an achievable goal in front of you is crucial to keep moving forward. The operating adjective here is “achievable”. Even amid a long-term goal, such as a BQ in 3 years or running 2000 miles this year, you must structure a plan that will allow you small triumphs to keep your dream and your motivation alive.

 2 – Register to a race, now: I am convinced there is no bigger motivation out there than being registered to a race. This way, you know you need to be ready to run X distance by X Day. This will allow you to set up a plan, set expectations and motivate you to keep moving forward during the inevitable challenging times. Even more, let everyone know you have registered, so it is even tougher to back out.

 3 – Find a running partner/group: While running could be the perfect time for introspection and solitude, having a running partner with similar goals to be accountable to, is always a good strategy. You can also join a running group or team where you can find yourself welcomed and become part of your local running community. This will change your running life. Guaranteed.

Diet doesn’t have to be fancy. Just eat more of the the good stuff, cut the junk, and you will see immediate improvements. (Foto: Polina Tankilevitch, Pexels)

4 – Dial in your nutrition: If you eat junk all day, there is no training plan able to help you become the best runner you can be. Nobody expects you to never again eat a donut, but you can’t eat six them and flushing them down with Coke, every single day. A solid and balanced diet will take you a long way. It doesn’t need to be a fancy nutrition plan. Eat your veggies, consume good carbs and fats, take it easy with the alcohol and don’t overindulge. That alone, will take you a long way.

 5 – Make rest part of your program: You can work as hard as you want, but if you don’t allow your body to heal and repair, you will become overtrained and injured. Not a matter of if but when. Cross training days, when your body works out but doesn’t receive the pounding, or a weekly day with nothing in your schedule, should be an integral part of your plan, so you can keep healthy and so you won’t burn out.

 6 – Do not sacrifice sleep: Remember you don’t improve when you work out, you improve while you sleep. The long run, the tempo, the weightlifting, or the speed session damage your body. It is when you sleep that your body gets repaired. If you skip on sleep, you won’t realize all the benefits of the training, but you will keep the muscle damage. It is that simple.

 7 – Work with a coach: This is not a self-serving tip. There are reasons why even multi-billion dollar companies hire consultants. Someone who can see things from the outside and assist in maximizing their resources to improve results. Same applies to your running journey. The knowledge and experience of a specialist at your service, can only enhance your experience and thus, your performance.

 8 – Just have fun: If you don’t have fun, you won’t last as a runner. It is that simple.

 Any other tips you may want to contribute?