Hey everyone. Today I'm spending a day at see, lounging by the pool, sipping fruity drinks and maybe climbing the rock wall. While I'm without Internet access, I'd like you to please welcome Stacy for today's guest post!

Hello followers and friends of Jess! This is Stacy (aka Teacherwoman) from Dare-to-Tri.

Not everyone lives in the frozen-over-prairie of NoDak like me for at least 4 months out of the year, but this time of year many of us have become familiar with colder temperatures, wet conditions, shorter days, etc. It is very well possible that many of us struggle with getting out of bed in the morning for a 3 mile run, or a ½ mile of sprints in the pool followed by 30 minutes on the bike in the evening – after dark. But, whether you’re a runner, triathlete, duathlete, or just love working out, I think it is safe to say we all need some sort of motivation here and there, especially in the winter.

Here are 10 things that I do to keep myself motivated, in no particular order.

1. Workout with a friend – I have a couple friends that I have done some training with and it is so much easier to get to a class or the gym when it’s planned with someone else!

2. Dial a friend – When you aren’t able to work out with a friend, call a friend and let them know your plans for the week or for the next day. Keep each other accountable! I have a friend that I have done a lot of training and working out with in the past, but now we have different schedules due to grad school and other commitments, so we don’t get to do everything together anymore. Now we try to call each other… it helps us be more accountable!

3. Change things up a bit – This is the time of year where most of us are not training for anything in particular so change things up a bit. If you are feeling in a funk with your running, do something different. For example, run a mile, bike 15 minutes, run a mile, bike 15 minutes, run another mile. Or, warm-up on the treadmill, then play a game with your music – run hard one song, and easy the next, and so forth. There’s a multitude of things you can do to change it up – you just need to be creative and think outside the box!

4. Try something new – Take a weight lifting, yoga or pilates class if you haven’t yet! It’s a great way to meet new people also! In addition, there are websites where you can find good strengthening, stretching, sculpting, and core workouts. The Yoga Today website has a free yoga video each week – all you have to do is sign-in, but it’s free! Otherwise, you can pay $3.99 to download a class of your choice, to keep! Most yoga sessions on the website are close to an hour long. Another great site is Exercise TV and has more variety in the type of videos they offer. Check them out if your interested!

5. Write it down – every week I try to write down what I would like to accomplish that week, even when I am not training, and try to stick to it the best I can. I will sometimes post it on my fridge, bathroom mirror, or at my desk at work as a frequent reminder.

6. Leave yourself sticky notes – Every once and a while I will leave myself sticky notes. Sometimes quotes I see on other blogs. Usually something that I know will help me get going, especially early in the morning.

7. Blog about it – Tell the blog world you’re struggling with motivation! When I do this, I get a handful of ideas as to how to deal with this… and am so thankful! Sometimes we just need a virtual-swift-kick-in-the-rear!

8. Make small goals – Sometimes I make challenges for myself for the week or month. For example, a goal of mine this week was to get to the pool at least once, bike once, and run 3 times. A goal of mine for the month was to participate in the Legs Do It Challenge put on my Mary. It’s definitely a nice change from my normal routine. Look around the “blogworld” – there are these fun challenges everywhere! Or, come up with one of your own and get other bloggers to join in on the fun!

9. Find a race – Even though you might not be training for something just yet, finding a race or two for later this spring or into the summer might just give you enough boost to get you going with something right now!

10. REST – Sometimes you just need to take a day off (or 2) and get back into your groove! But, I wouldn’t advise more than 2 because then it’s hard to get back to the grind!


Well, my friends, or should I say friends of Jess - there you have it! I hope you can find some of these helpful!

Signing off,

Stacy

(aka Teacherwoman)