I was provided with a complimentary pair of Mizuno Wave Rider 21s to demo and was provided monetary compensation in exchange for my time. As always, I will keep it real and provide my honest feedback of the product.
I don't want all my hard work the past few months to go to waste this winter, so I am making sure that I stay motivated and on track. My hopes are that we can all stay accountable together and get through these next few months successfully and ready to crush some Spring goals with these four tips for staying motivated with winter training.
If you are like me, there is nothing like fresh gear to get you out the door and running those miles. More so than anything, new kicks ALWAYS motivate me. Seriously though, does anything feel better than a fresh pair of shoes? With the holiday season here, it is the time to take advantage of deals to get those holiday deals, use the gift cards from family and friends and gear up for winter training. Who knows, maybe Santa will even hook you up with some sweet gear.
I am currently breaking in a pair of the new Mizuno Wave Rider 21s and they are AMAZING. Mizuno Wave Rider 21 is a neutral shoe in the Mizuno lineup and prides itself on being a premium neutral shoe with a plush and smooth ride to the shoe from heel to toe on every step. While no shoe is a "one size fits all" in terms of fit or comfort, the Mizuno Wave Rider is one that is great for seasoned runners and new runners alike with a need for a neutral shoe. If there is one piece of gear I recommend replacing to give yourself some motivation, it is definitely your shoes as they are hands down the most important piece of running gear you will have. As with any new running shoe that you are trying, I recommend getting fitted at a local running store or at least trying them on in person first, so now is the time to get fitted and find that find the perfect ride.
When training, nothing is better than the support of others. Everyone in your life might not totally understand what exactly you are working towards. Working with training groups or finding running buddies is an excellent way to get support from other runners and stay accountable to your training plan.
My mom and I do a lot of training runs together when she is prepping for half marathons. Not only does running together give us quality time together, it is also a great accountability tool to help make sure that miles get logged. Sometimes you might hit a mental block and try to find a reason to bow out of a run, but if you know your running partner is depending on you to be there, your tune definitely changes. Having a running buddy gives you someone to help push each other a little more and of course celebrate your accomplishments with along the way.
There are many great running groups across the country that you can join. Your local running store, Moms Run This Town, or even Facebook groups are excellent ways to find group runs or find great words of encouragement and advice. Even if you don't think that you are a "group runner", you might just be surprised at how much you enjoy the camaraderie of having a running partner or running group.
Training for a race is hard work - be sure to celebrate and have fun! There are a lot of different ways to reward yourself occasionally throughout training. For example, once you have completed a month staying on track with training you buy yourself a new piece of running gear, go enjoy relax with a mani/pedi after 100 miles, or even stashing a dollar per mile in a special jar to have some spending cash for your next race expo (you will be amazed to watch the jar fill up).
One of my favorite ways to measure my training/mileage is through a simple marble system. Start with your goal mileage in one jar and have another jar with those marbles in it. After each run, move the number of marbles that correspond with your mileage to the "miles ran" jar. As the month goes one watch one jar empty while the other one fills up. You can also do this with other goals such as number of days you ran this month, days cross-trained, days water goal was met, etc. No matter what your goal is, having something visible that you see every day makes you more amped to make it happen.
Most runners know that cross-training is important - almost as important as logging your miles. If you find different cross training routines that are beneficial AND fun, you will be more likely to do them, right? While I tolerate my weight circuits days, I REALLY enjoy going to my weekly HIIT training and yoga. These are some of the days that I most look forward to on my schedule. Each day of cross training is important to your marathon or half marathon training. Remember your body is like a car and has a lot of different parts that makes it move better and faster. Try out some different classes at your local gym or check out your local running store or club for "yoga for runners" nights. You never know where you might fall in love with something new to add to your schedule.
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Mizuno. The opinions and text are all mine.