As you already know, I have a love of keeping fit & it’s a big part of my life. However, my sister is not like me at all & even though my sister does exercise to keep fit, she doesn’t have the same passion as I do. We both find though, that having a goal to work towards helps us both to stay motivated.
During all this madness in the world with the current COVID-19 crisis we both decided to go on a journey from couch to 5k, running at least three times a week & giving our muscles recovery time. Striving to reach our goal my sister & I focused on the finish line & spurred each other on to keep going.
Although I love being out in nature, taking in the beauty of the beautiful place I live in, some days were harder than others. Once I set my mind to something I am determined to finish, but even being the fitness addict that I am, I have the occasional day when I lack motivation & struggle on my run or to workout. However, even on the days my sister & I lack motivation we still push ourselves & each other to reach our goals, never giving up.
I found using running apps (I used 5k Runner to reach 5k & Active 5k to 10k for my 10k challenge) & setting daily goals from these apps also aided in keeping me motivated. I believe it helps to have an app to follow along with, or to record your achievements, or both & also trains you to build up your stamina, so you don’t quit. Recording my progress made me realise how far I’d come, both physically & mentally. When I first started running, even though I’m an active person, I was shattered after just 2 minutes. Now I’m able to run a full hour without stopping.
I used my everyday achievements for motivation. Seeing my improvement every time I went running pushed me to do even better, to succeed in my goal. Even on the days I struggled on my runs I saw it as progress & training to get me one step closer to my goal. I used the bad days as a learning curve, an opportunity to improve my performance. I even set myself little challenges to reach within my training, breaking it down so that my run was easier to stick to.
“If my mind can conceive it, & my heart can believe it, then I know I can achieve it.” – Muhammed Ali
One thing I find a battle on my run sometimes is the fight between my mind & body. My mind wants to give up when my body wants to keep going longer. I found that when I was distracted my run was so much easier to complete. I believe every negative has a positive & this just showed me how strong & focused I can be when I set my mind to something.
Setting myself challenges meant I was able to complete 5k on 6th May 2020 & I was so proud of myself. I decided to set myself a new goal to work towards, therefore I started on my 10k journey. I achieved 10.5k on 23rd June 2020 & was even more proud of my accomplishment. It just goes to show that will power, determination, self belief, discipline & a whole lot of positivity pays off, empowering you to strive to reach those goals & dreams. It’s such a good feeling too.
Have confidence in your ability, as you are stronger than you think & capable of so much. Never give up on your goals & dreams, no matter what obstacles stand in your way. The journey may throw you a few curve balls, but achieving what you set out to do will be worth it in the end. Nothing worth working for is ever easy.
Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers you cannot be successful or happy.”
Norman Vincent Peale
