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Hey friends!  Today I’m introducing my new friend Morgan!  I met her a few weeks ago through my mentor and thought you all might like to meet her as well!  She’s a blogger over at Yellow Door Diaries and today she’s taking over my blog!  {I did not influence her in any way!}  I think you will really enjoy this post she’s sharing with us!

First, a big “thank you” to Michelle for allowing me to take over her blog for a day. Don’t you just adore her?

If you are familiar with my blog, you may have seen this post about how I am training for a half marathon. (Note: I am not, and never have been, a runner. I don’t even exercise regularly! I just felt that I needed to set a big fitness goal for myself to get myself in gear.)

In addition to a few lessons I’ve learned so far (which you can read here), I thought it might also be helpful for anyone considering starting a training regimen to share some things you should do before you begin. This one sounds obvious, right? Well, maybe not. Not only do you have to commit by actually signing up for the race (don’t start by telling yourself you might sign up if training goes well – where is the motivation in that?), but you also have to commit to the training itself. It’s time consuming and it takes discipline. You have to wrap your mind around dedicating yourself to those workouts.

This has been my absolute saving grace so far. I am horrible about making myself get up and go when I know I am only accountable to myself. Thankfully, I have a training partner in my neighborhood who runs with me during the week, as well as encourages me on our cross-training and off days. She’s been wonderful and completely necessary for me.

You absolutely do not need to go spend oodles of money on new state-of-the-art running pants/tank tops/socks/head bands/watches/fill-in-the-blank-item. However – DO invest in a great pair of shoes. I would recommend you go to a running store and take the time to get measured and fitted, and really find a great pair of shoes. These could make or break your runs – you don’t want to end up with blisters or bad knees weeks into your training!

Create a Schedule
My running buddy and I found an online 12-week training schedule that we have used. Knowing the workouts in advance (Saturday – 8 miles; Sunday – rest; Monday – cross training, etc.) has allowed us to both calendar the workouts and schedule our lives accordingly. This sort of goes hand in hand with “commit” above, because really fitting the workouts into your schedule is a must – and we know exactly what to expect on which days.

Find Your “Why”
It’s important to really think about WHY you want to commit yourself to running a half. If you don’t have something motivating you, then you’ll find it’s hard to get going on days that you just don’t want to go (and they will happen). It might be to get in shape, or to prove to yourself you can do it. Maybe your reason is to boost your self confidence, or to enjoy the outdoors each day. It’s different for everyone, and it should be – what is your personal reason? Find it, and hold on to it!

What about you? What motivates you? Do you have any other tips to share?

Thank you for having me, Michelle!

Until next time – –