Motivation is a key component to a successful race season. Whether it’s managing a busy schedule, staying disciplined to a training plan, or simply remembering your “why,” staying motivated can be challenging. Here are a few tips from employees and athletes at Scheels to help you stay on your running game.
AJ Manning
The biggest tip for staying motivated with a busy schedule is just figuring out your routine and what works for you. I know my schedule weeks in advance and plan around it accordingly. As a new parent, this may mean earlier mornings and sometimes later nights when I am getting my workouts in but I can still find a way. Also, setting up a little bit of a routine and knowing when I can get a longer workout in or when it needs to be shorter.
Ultimately living a healthy lifestyle is going to make time with kids that much more enjoyable and allows you to be an even greater role model. It doesn’t have to be big things either, but just little lifestyle changes can really go a long way and be enjoyable at the same time. Setting up little fun goals along the way to stay motivated is huge or even incorporating your children into fitness can be fun and rewarding.
The easiest way to stay on track is to set up little goals along the way. I do things on top of my training each and every day that keeps it fun and helps me really love the process. Sharing your goals with family/friends or even co-workers is huge, and can help keep you accountable.
2023 Goals:
The 2023 race season has already started for me and I was able to race the Houston Marathon and come away with a new personal best of 2:38. Next up, I will be back to racing Triathlons and am currently signed up for Tulsa 70.3, Des Moines 70.3 and USA Triathlon Age Group Nationals that will take place in Milwaukee. As far as goals, I ultimately would like to qualify for my Pro Card as a triathlete. Getting started in this sport 5 years ago, it seemed like a dream, but is definitely something that is becoming more attainable through consistent hard work.
Colleen Waldhauser
- Motivation is an essential part of fitness because it keeps you going on your worst days. When you don’t want to get up and get it done, you find that motivation inside and those can end up being some of your best days.
- I stay on track to achieve my goals by telling people my goals… if you say it to people and they know you are working towards something, it pushes you to continue.
- Top 5 tips for staying motivated are:
- Have a plan.
- Share your goals with others.
- Find an accountability partner.
- Make it fun!
- Make your goal something that you can continue, even after you achieve it.
Joe & Kendra Goettl (husband and wife, SCHEELS Experts, Joe- Pro staff biking)
Joe:
Motivation is important because it sparks the fire to do the work ahead. You must find passion for the type of fitness activities you decide to do in order to build motivation. Without building motivation first, you will struggle to find the discipline required to succeed in your goals. Discipline is the second ingredient to pair with motivation in order to reach your goals. It’s easy to get after it when you’re freshly motivated, but motivation comes in waves. Discipline is getting after it once it gets hard, when you’re tired, time restricted, or some other obstacle gets in your way.
- Envision yourself achieving your goals. Put an image in your head of yourself crossing the finish line, standing on the podium, and celebrating all the hard work it took to get you there.
- Remember the times you failed to reach your goals, how it felt, how it hurt. Think back to that workout you skipped or cheat meal you had that put you off track.
- Put your workout schedule down in writing. Communicate with your family and friends about your schedule and stick to it. Make your workouts a “must”
- Let yourself be inspired by others who have achieved the goals you’re looking to achieve. Social Media can be a double edged sword, try to follow the content that inspires you to push towards your goals.
- Surround yourself with people that push you forward towards your goals. Both positive and negative people are infectious. You want people in whom you have similarities with, people that hold you accountable in your corner.
Kendra:
Motivation is mental fuel for your workouts. It helps you get started towards achieving your goal. I have systems in place to make sure my routine is consistent each week. For example, take the extra time to lay out your gear the night before so it is ready for you when that early alarm goes off.
- Have an event you are excited to train for. For me, this is the Summer Trail Race Series consisting of 13 races throughout the Wasatch Mountains of Utah.
- Surround yourself with others who have similar goals.
- Reward yourself with new gear for your upcoming event. For me, this is new shoes to train for my races, and a new outfit for competition days.
- Change up what you listen to according to your workouts. For long endurance days, I enjoy podcasts and audiobooks. For more intense sessions, the hip hop playlist comes out!
- Have diversity in your training. I not only mix up the intensity and duration of my runs, but I also like going to new locations and trails to train on.
Wyatt Haiby
1.) To me, motivation is everything when it comes to fitness. When I was training for races, I would ask myself what is the end goal and why are you doing it. At the time, it was a challenge to myself to run 26.2 miles. After the first marathon, it was my challenge to beat my previous time. Now with my newer path being weight training I ask myself, “Who are you doing this for?” And every time I answer “ME”. At the end of the day, your fitness journey is for no one else other than you. Whether that is for a healthier lifestyle, to be able to challenge yourself to do things you’ve never done before, or like myself, to be happier with your own body image.
2.) It is very easy to lose track of what your goals are, but what always helps me stay on track is quite simply showing up and sticking to routine. There are many days where my alarm goes off at 4:00 AM and there is a part of me that says, “Just go after work and hit the snooze button.” Sticking to my routine, getting out of bed in the morning, and going to workout, genuinely makes me have a better attitude towards the day ahead, more energy throughout the day, and makes it easier to stay on track of what my goal is.
3.) My five tips for staying motivated:
- Routine, routine, routine – Experts say if you can maintain a routine after 30 days it becomes natural to your everyday life. I would 100% agree with them.
- Once you get past the starting stage, it is far easier to show up and get your work in.
- Don’t do it alone – The fitness journey is hard, it’s a dedication to yourself to be better and improve your life. What worked for me is to surround myself with people who have similar intentions and goals. Not only are they going to help keep you motivated, but they are going to be the first people to cheer you on once you achieve that goal.
- Moderation is key – Don’t make your fitness journey so extreme that you don’t enjoy what you are doing. For example, cheat days are okay. It is a reward to yourself that you are changing your life and trying to make it better. With that, moderation comes into perspective. You can’t have a cheat day everyday.
- Don’t forget about nutrition – For the first two years of running, I found myself drained and fatigued. When I finally made my nutrition a focus and I ate things to fuel my body, I felt so much more energized and my performance improved significantly.
- Make it fun – It may seem cheesy, but you want to make fitness fun. For 30 minutes to an hour of your day, you are trying to make your life better. Making it fun, switching up your workouts and keeping it fresh will help keep you motivated and excited to go workout each day.
