Don't let the drop in temperature cause you to drop your mileage! We've reached that time of year where snow fall is pretty common (at least in the north east US) and roads and sidewalks can have icy patches. If you're having trouble getting your runs in during the winter, I've got a few ideas that might help you out! First, you've gotta have the right gear. You'll want to have gloves, warm socks, reflective gear, a headlamp (if running at night), hat / ear protection. One thing to keep in mind is that it's really easy to overdress in the winter. If you overdress, you'll cause your body to get too warm which will make you sweat. Then, your sweat will start to freeze and you'll be even colder than you were to start with. It took me a while to find the right amount of winter gear. My best advice is to feel a little cold when you start. If you go outside and you're already warm, you've overdressed. If you're running while it is snowing, you may want something to protect your eyes from the snow. I would recommend wearing a hat and sunglasses. Don't care about snow flakes pummeling your eyes? Me either! Enjoy those frosty eye lashes. Be sure to show them off in your post run selfie! Go slow! I wouldn't recommend doing any speed work outside when there is snow and ice on the ground. It's too easy to slip and fall. Keep the pace down and be aware of each step you make. On particularly slippery days, I keep my cadence up and my strides short to prevent slipping. I keep my cadence up because if I hit some ice, my steps are quick so my foot has already been pulled off the ground, making the slip have less impact on my center of gravity. My goal is to have my foot begin to lift as soon as it has touched the ground. I try to pretend the road is lava and I'm lifting my feet off of it. Also, by making my strides shorter, I'm keeping the center of gravity right under me. Leaning forward or backward will make it harder for you to stop yourself from falling if you slip. Don't be afraid to take your run indoors. Running inside, you won't need to worry about the elements. Many gyms have indoor tracks and there is always the treadmill. If you're hitting the treadmill you can watch some Netflix or listen to a podcast. For me, doing either of those really helps to make the time fly! If you don't have a gym and are in the market for a treadmill, I've got a great resource for you! After all, a treadmill is a large purchase, so you're going to want to make sure you have the best one for your needs. Reviews.com has reached out to me with a great guide I wanted to share. It'll make choosing a treadmill so much easier. They've done a TON of research and they even put the treadmills to the test. Check out their full guide on treadmills here: https://www.reviews.com/treadmills/ Enjoy your run! Running in the snow can be really enjoyable. On a snowy day it seems like the world has slowed down. There are less cars on the road and less people out an about. Don't think about a to-do list or work, live in the moment. Take in the the sound of snow crunching beneath your feet. Look around at the trees with snow accumulating on the branches. Feel the crisp air. Catch a snowflake on your tongue!
Xoxo, Chelsea
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While the desire to improve is always there, sometimes the motivation to actually get out and do it isn't. I'm coming off of a week where I had no motivation to run or blog. My feeling is, if you want something, you should make time for it. I want to improve my running. I want to continue to blog. My lack of motivation kept me from accomplishing both last week. Normally, I'm pretty driven. But with everything, there are always ups and down. So far this week, I'm back on track which got me to thinking about motivation. One thing I will admit I'm actually good at is staying motivated. My personality is to go at things 150. My good friend K.S. said it best "You overdo everything you do". BUT there are times, like last week, where it diminishes a bit. It's important to re-set and re-motivate yourself. Don't get down on yourself because you had no motivation. It's normal. It happens to everyone. Let that go, and move forward.
Motivation isn't forever. You need to replenish your motivation every now and again. I'ts like a pillow that needs to be fluffed. It's like lipstick, you need to reapply it from time to time. Here are my tips and tricks to stay motivated: 1. Preparation. Before the week began, I sat down a listed all of the days I planned to run along with planned mileage. Now I've got something in writing that I want to complete. This will keep me accountable on days that I'm feeling meh, to get out an accomplish the daily goal I set for myself. I use a planner for this and it is EXTREMELY helpful. I do not think I'd hit my goals without my planner (Side note: I went jumbo sized again this year, up from large last year, and I'm in love. SO MUCH ROOM FOR ACTIVITIES, er, I mean WRITING). 2. Attitude change. I was treating things that I love like a chore. I choose to do these things because I love it. No one is forcing me to do it. Once I reminded myself the "why" behind running (and blogging), I was able to change my attitude away from treating running like a chore and back into the mind set that I'm lucky to be able to do it. I remembered how frustrated I was when I was injured and couldn't run. During those times, I said I'd never take it for granted and yet, I was. 3. Set goals. Having a purpose for what you're doing makes it a lot easier to stay motivated. For me this year, first I was training for Broad Street, shortly after that a half marathon and now I'm aiming 1,000 miles for the year. Knowing there is a bigger reason than just that one run is really helpful. 4. Bribe yourself. A new lipstick just came out that you reallly want? A top, sneakers, bag? Do not allow yourself to make that purchase until you hit your goal! This will give you some extra incentive to hit your goals on days your motivation is low. PLUS, you get something you've coveted. Sometimes, that "thing" you've been wanting, doesn't end up being as important as it was when you set your bribe. 5. Remember how you felt when you didn't accomplish your goal. Sometimes, it's important to reflect on a time you've failed. Don't beat yourself up about it. But remember that feeling. Remember all the 'what ifs' that you had. You know you could have accomplished your goal, but you didn't get out and get it done, Let that feeling fuel you to get out the door, or to write your blog post. You can do it, so get up and do it now. 6. Just do it: as Nike says, "just do it". There are days when I'm feeling lazy and do not want to blog or run. But I make myself do it anyway. Why? Oh. Because she's dead... whoops, went off on a T.Swift tangent.. Let's bring it back in (told ya, it wouldn't be my blog without a side note here or there). I will just make myself go out and run or sit down and write because a lot of times (most time), once I've gotten started, I remember why I do what I do. I remember the feeling you get from a run (runners high is real!). I remember how good it feels to get my brain moving to come up with ideas or colorful language. xoxo, Chelsea
The following true story isn't exactly something I'm proud to admit, but I think it's important. If I can help even one person realize they don't need the scale, I'll count it as a win.
There was a time when I was obsessed with the scale. I'm talking, wake up every morning, use the bathroom, step on the scale and hold my breath to be a light as possible. Then I logged it into an app. I felt euphoric on days where it had dropped, and bummed on days when it didn't. I got to the point where I was weighing myself multiple times per day and the number always won. It would have some sort of emotional effect on me. Sounds crazy, I know. But I was in a vicious cycle that I knew I had to get out of. Not to mention, stress can cause people to gain weight. I feel like this was definitely at play with me. I was always stressing about that stupid number. I wasn't focusing on how nutritious items were, I was focusing on the calories because fewer calories means a lower number, right? WRONG.
I don't have a dramatic moment where I realized I needed to do something. I think I slowly started to realized I needed to back away from the scale. The first step I took, was setting the app I was to change the setting from actual weight to average weight. This way, I would start to move away from focusing on the daily number and begin focusing on the overall trend. I would still weigh myself daily, so I knew when I would be compared to the last day. This continued for sometime and while it did help alleviate some of the stress, it was still there.
From here, I decided I'd weigh myself once a month. This combined with the app showing the overall trend would be perfect. So, that is what I set out to do. Fast forward a month, I jump on the scale and the number was awful. I felt defeated. I remember thinking: I workout, I'm eating well, I'm drinking water. All my effort was for nothing. I don't know why I even bother. I'll always be stuck here. I'll never get in shape. What a horrible attitude to have & I wish I could go back and hug myself in that moment. I think after letting the sting of that number sink in, I decided to make a change. I finally realized that, for me, the scale is not helpful. I have an unhealthy relationship with the scale and it causes me more harm than good. There are a lot of people who can use a scale, but I'm not one of them! If you're anything like me, please, please, ditch that scale. I am so much happier and have so much more self love than the days of jumping on the scale all the time. I did take time to get to where I am, but now that I'm here, I wont go back! Rant time: WHO CARES ABOUT THE NUMBER ON THE SCALE! Seriously, your family doesn't care, your boss doesn't care, strangers walking down the street don't care. It effected my mood so much and it isn't like someone would see me and be like "CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR 1 LB WEIGHT LOSS TODAY!". It was just such a stupid mindset. If you're eating healthy, working out, you know, doing the right things, that scale doesn't matter. And in case you're not convinced, I've included some transformations to prove that the number on the scale does not matter. (I've included a direct link to each person's Instagram for credit. If anything is incorrect or should be removed, please let me know.) I'm simply sharing woman I find inspiring and who have shown the scale is crap. XOXO, Run Wilk |
About meMore than just running....
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