You’re finally ready to level up your running. You’ve got big goals and a big race or perhaps several races in mind. Congratulations! You plan to finally start running consistently, start a strength training program, change your diet and improve your flexibility. You’re ready to go all in!
But before you go all in, let’s make sure that you set yourself up for long term success. While each of the things above are beneficial to running and you should do them, the reality is that when you try to tackle them all at once you actually increase the likelihood of failure. What? You read that right. Making too many changes at one time will more than likely cause you to quit and give up before you start to see any real progress.
Too many changes all at once, even though positive, can make you feel overwhelmed and inadequate. You may struggle to find the time to get them all done and question your commitment level. A better way is to make one change at time, master it, then add a new change. By allowing yourself to get good one thing, your confidence will increase and when your confidence increases then so does your commitment level.
Spend two to three weeks on each activity before you add a new one. You want it to truly feel like it is a natural part of your routine and start seeing progress before taking on another activity. Seeing progress increases your confidence and your belief in yourself. You will be more motivated to take on the challenge of a new activity because you’ve already had success.
Use this same concept as you start to make changes to your diet. Make those changes gradually so it doesn’t feel like a punishment and you can build your confidence and motivation over time. A few years ago I worked with a nutritionist following my diagnosis of lymphocitic colitis. Together we made small tweaks to my diet over a 6 week period and it made it much easier to stay on track and eventually wean off the medicine after my body healed.
Don’t get discouraged if this process takes awhile. Remind yourself of the positive benefits you are reaping from the changes you have already made. Give yourself permission to enjoy that success and don’t beat yourself up for what you have yet to accomplish. Look for pockets of time for strength training and stretching such as doing those while watching television with your family.
Finally, don’t get caught up in the social media comparison game. Remember those photos are the highlight reels and you’re not seeing their messy middle. This is your body and your journey. Treat it with respect and enjoy the processes of working towards your goals!
