Excellent blog kindly contributed by James Bennett of Caversham Marketing Services. Thank you James.
Ok, hands up, who made a resolution on 1st January to run more in 2018 and is already struggling to keep this up?
Sadly, this is common to many resolutions and there is no silver bullet on this one, sorry. Thinking about running and actually running are two different things. But the secret to success of any resolution is to identify manageable goals that can be tracked, measured and achieved. And then cross off the list for 2018
To do this, here are a few resolution-setting rules that will help.
FIND MEASURABLE GOALS
A general goal won’t happen, but a specific one can. So instead of saying “run more” in a long list of resolutions, set a running goal that’s quantifiable, like running your first 5k. The more specific the goal, the better. Sign up to the Kingsway Family Fun Run on April 15th and make this your goal for 2018.
MAKE A PLAN
We all know we want to run more, may even think about doing it more and even say I will run more, but the key is to actually set time aside to do it! A marathon takes training, but so does a 5K and getting to the point where running for 30-40 minutes doesn’t feel like death.
Break down your resolution into manageable chunks and actually plan it into your daily schedule. Make the most of weekends!
10 weeks out from Raceday we will publish our ‘Couch to 5K running plan’, but you can start now
DECIDE ON A MEASURE
Measuring helps keep you honest and progressing toward your goals. If weight loss is part of your resolution, then set a target. If weight isn’t your focus, you need some other metric to keep you honest — like charting your mileage or steps each week, or your heart rate at a certain distance run and check it regularly.
VISUALISE SUCCESS
Before every walk, jog or buggy run race, spend a few moments to visualise what the session will look and feel like for you. Think about how that finish line will feel and really see it in your mind. To keep you on track, visualise yourself succeeding at this. Completing a 5k course will may be a stretch for you to achieve, but if you can’t do it in your imagination, it’s likely won’t be able to stay motivated enough to get there in reality.
TELL YOUR PEOPLE
These days most runners don’t just crave that finish-line medal — they crave the social media aspect of posting a picture of that medal so friends and family can see it. Join our online community that will cheer you on. https://www.facebook.com/KingswayFamilyFunRun
FIND A BUDDY
Don’t just lean on our online community. Probably the biggest influencers on your exercise habits will be your family and friends. So include them! With family tickets available for two adults and two children, help them, help you achieve your goals for 2018!
Kingsway Family Fun Run 