How to get into the runners mindset

How come New Year’s resolutions seem to be so much less appealing on New Year’s morning when you wake up and the only word you can stutter is; detox? That morning on January 1st is not the ideal foundation for the healthy eating plans and not for that long procrastinated run either. I realized that when I was stumbling around Berlin the morning after, wasting my time looking for healthy food while all the stores were closed and the only thing I could find were bratwursts. If I wasn't a vegetarian I would have definitely bought one, people were chewing on them like it was their mission to slaughter them for the second time. I there and then decided that I would never start my New Year’s resolutions on January 1st anymore. My advice would be to start a bit later or at the beginning of December instead, so you can guilty free chew on those cinnamon rolls on Christmas day.

Even for a gym junky like me a daily shot of endorphins can lose its glory sometimes. So, how to write a motivational piece about New Year’s resolution workouts without the standard ‘Ten tips how to lose ten pounds in ten days’ list? First of all, you have decided to hop back on that trainings wagon and that's half the battle. Congratulations! I am proud of you. The key ingredient to success is to set a goal and get into the right mindset to achieve it. To keep myself going, I always sign up for a half marathon in the second week of January. Although I am not a rookie when it comes to endurance training, the 21k/13miles running distance is not something I am a big fan of. Going out in the cold week in week out to train a certain amount of kilometers can often feel like torture to me.

Last year I have read some articles about the law of attraction that explained that thoughts and feelings become things. In short, you will become what you think. While reading I became really enthusiastic. I figured it could help me improve my running times without putting more effort into it, just as long as I was thinking, I am a runner! This is what I do. A week or two before a half marathon I get into the mindset of a professional runner. In my mind I start to live like a runner, adjust my diet, eat, breath and sleep like a runner. I keep telling myself I run faster every day. In my mind I imagine I am running that competition effortlessly and having that proud feeling when I cross the finish line. On the day of the competition, even when my knees and legs start to hurt towards the finish line, giving up never crosses my mind. Believe it or not, my mind exercise resulted in faster running times. 

You don't have to be perfect. Reaching your goals starts with getting into the right mindset and believing in yourself. As Henry Ford said;" Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, you are right." Get in front of the mirror and imagine yourself being a 20 pounds less you, who lifts weights at the gym as if they are light weighted Birkin bags or a six-pack of Heineken. Become that runner, that bodybuilder or that amazing swimmer in your mind. Now that the right mindset is established I wouldn't want to hold my workout tips from the ones who were actually excited about the ‘10 tips how to lose weight’ lists. I will share my training experiences with you on a monthly basis and will post that list soon.

Be happy,
˜Ilona˜