Tricks To Prioritizing Training When You’re Super Busy
We all have the best intentions and try to prioritize training, but what happens when life gets in the way?
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Runners know that it can be hard to train and work and have a family and visit with friends…and focus on all of the little things that come our way. But because we love the sport—we need it to be the best version of ourselves—we make it work and set aside time to run. We prioritize training. What happens when running feels like just another thing on the to-do list? What can you do to make sure you are able to prioritize training without having to take away focus from other parts of your life?
Here are six things to remember when life gets hectic and you are trying to juggle it all and prioritize training.
Make yourself a priority.
I will often schedule blocks of time in my planner to go running. I make myself a priority, too. By adding it to my calendar, I can’t overlap meetings with my runs or miss runs because of other appointments and obligations.
Have a clear, solid, fun goal.
Often I will sign up for races and use them at my goal. It can be anything small or big, but I try to always have a goal in mind. If I know I have a race coming up, it is great motivation to not skip out on training.
Listen to your body, but don’t be afraid to push it a little.
Sometimes my body just straight doesn’t want to cooperate, but I will still push it to go for a run. Sometimes I compromise and will run only 4-6 miles instead of my usual 8 miles. I’m still getting in that cardio, but I take a lighter day when I need to.
Keep an exercise journal.
I keep an exercise journal where I write how long I work out and what type of workout I do. I keep track of my running distances and times. This helps me gauge where I need to be at in my training and if I am able to up my distance or increase my pace.
Get friends involved—even if you can’t work out together.
Since coordinating schedules is often impossible, I have a handful of friends who help hold each other accountable by sending “sweaty selfie” pics to one another (not on social media). It’s an easy, fun way of having friends involved and good motivation to get that workout done!