Remember way back in December when you resolved to run five days a week and beat your marathon PR in 2012? It’s easy to fall off pace when bad weather, illness and injuries, or crazy work and family schedules, get in the way of training. Here’s how to get back on track to achieving your resolutions.

Find support. Staying motivated is much easier when someone has your back. Find a local running group or recruit a buddy to run with you so that you can keep each other motivated. You also need to get the important people in your life—your significant other, kids, for example—on your side. They may not want to exercise with you, but they need to understand that it’s a priority for you and you need to make time for it.

Set short-term goals. We always think we have plenty of time to achieve long-term goals, so it’s tempting to push off the required work. Set some short-term goals so you can stay on track and avoid getting bored or lazy.

Keep a running log. Writing down your workouts is an excellent way to track your progress and stay motivated. It can be as simple as jotting down your miles and how you felt in a notebook, or you could create something more elaborate like a running blog with detailed posts. 

Pick your races. Now’s a good time to start plotting out the races you want to do the rest of the year. Having races on your calendar will serve as a motivational reminder to keep training and also give you some feedback on how you’re progressing toward your goals.

What keeps you on track to your goals?

Tags: running, resolutions