hi am starting week one today and signed up to do the race for life 5k in june so any tips on how to stay motivated?

[leighanne]

[hornywithab]

just finished week 1, scared about going on to week 2, but if you doing race for life.......that is your motivation.....help the race for life

[Hidden]

I find that action comes before motivation so whether or not I want to I get ready for a run. I've never got back and thought 'I wish I hadn't done that run'.

Once you're moving you don't really notice the weather. I have run in drizzle, rain, mud, and with snow on the ground. The only conditions that would concern me now are ice and high winds. So weather can only rarely be an excuse.

I try to run first thing in the morning before things can sidetrack me.

I know if I leave more than two days between runs it gets easier to keep postponing it so I usually run alternate days.

Anything too muddy or sweaty goes straight in the washer before I've even hit the shower. I put my phone on charge straight away and put my earphones in my running jacket pocket so pixies won't steal them. I download the next podcast straight after the final run of each week. Then I can't use lack of kit as an excuse.

The first 10 mins is the hardest for some reason. I tell myself that I have to get through that, after that if I'm really too tired I can stop, but that's only happened a couple of times and I'm in Wk8 now.

You can do it!

[Beckipeg in reply to Hidden]

Great practical tips here. I tend to be disorganised but you make it sound so logical. Thanks.

[scavo Graduate]

Believe in yourself.. you can do this!! and keep telling yourself "i can do this, i can do this" when you are feeling tired and your legs feel life lumps of lead, you really can do this!! best of luck

[juicydee Graduate]

Great tips here! I'd also add that the challenge of something new to tackle each week is some of the best motivation there is - in other words, the programme has its own built-in motivation! Along with Laura encouraging you - she has a real knack of speaking straight to you as if she knows you.

[Bonzo]

I run straight from work, get in, get changed, go out. The one night I was delayed I sat on the sofa and watched a bit of tv waiting for my running partner it was SO difficult to get motivated to do it but so glad I did once I was out. I run before my tea so I have something to look forward to when I get back in.

Keep going if I can anyone can as I am the last person my friends would have expected to do this. you will surprise yourself !!!

[bonnie68 Graduate]

So true! I put out my running gear in the morning, get in from work, put it on go before sitting down which is fatal! Then big drink when back and reward of flopping on sofa after tea..sleeping so well too....can honestly say have never regretted doing a run, even a "bad" one...

[Hidden]

I did read a suggestion somewhere that if you were planning a morning run you should go to bed in your running gear - my trainers are really muddy though

[AliB1 Graduate in reply to Hidden]

I like this idea...could save me time in the morning

[B3any_Boy]

I think the easiest is you have 9 weeks of training, if you run then good, but for every run you miss or slack off, think about all the people who have sponsored you for the race for life that you have just let down, and think about all the people who can't race and are struggling from cancer who you are letting down.

My first race is on Saturday and I have raised over £200 in sponsorship for the British heart foundation. My daddy suffered from heart disease and my uncle died this year from heart disease, which kind of puts me in the high risk bracket. That's my motivation, sorry to do a heavy on you, but guilt kind of works.

But on the up side you start the programme and you will want to finish because you will enjoy yourself. Read the blogs, there are loads of people moaning about how hard it was for them , and then a week later they are going mental about how great it is.

[PatButcher Graduate]

Don't worry, the podcasts will keep you motivated, It all kind of falls into place really, I couldn't wait to go on my next run and to see how I did, yes I had bad days...very bad ones but I never stopped because I wanted to prove to myself I could do it, I also signed up for Race for life in May, but in all honesty it was the whole getting fit and slimmer (yeah right ) that spurred me on! I have now graduated from c25k and am off running this afternoon and looking forward to seeing what I can do without Laura!!!