be your own coach
01
Identify Motivations
Identifying your motivations for running is an important first step in understanding why you are doing something. Write down your motivations at the top of your training plan and on the days that are hard, remind yourself of these motivations to help get you out running.
​
To learn more about setting motivations, read my blog post here.
02
Identify Barriers
No matter our intentions, we all face barriers with our running. Barriers can change over time and will be different for everyone - time, work deadlines, or even the weather! To be effective in your training think of the barriers that apply to you in advance. This will allow you to plan ahead and have ideas in place ready to use when the barriers present themselves.
​
To learn more about identifying and overcoming barriers, read my blog post here.
03
Goal Setting
Setting goals can motivate you to stick to your running plans and they can provide a huge sense of achievement. I recommend setting two different types of goal:
​
1. A specific and measurable goal. For example, "I want to get a sub-4hour marathon at London Marathon 2021".
2. A subjective personal goal. For example, "I want to feel like I am stronger by the end of the year".
​To learn more about setting goals, read my blog post here.
04
Design Plan
There's an abundance of training plans available online. These plans can be very effective for some people but are often quite restrictive and fixed so it can be difficult to stick to these plans.
Instead, try using a 'Flexi-Plan'. This plan has different colour coded running sessions that should be incorporated over a two-week period. You can build your own training plan using a combination of these coloured sessions and fit it around life commitments.
​
To learn more about using a Flexi-Plan, click here.
05
Download Plan
It's time to put all of the above into action. Download your plan template and start filling in your motivations, barriers, goals and training sessions. Review it regularly to adjust to your schedule, and tell a friend about your plan to stay accountable.
​
Download your Flexi-Plan plan template: