Three ways you can get motivated to run after a long winter

As I sit and write this — during the first week of April and well into spring — the temperature outside is 41 degrees, and I’m contemplating going for a run. Yesterday was just as cold. It seems that Mother Nature has clung to winter as long as she absolutely could, only teasing us runners with a little warm weather this year.

During the winter, I personally like the challenge of bundling up to beat the cold and stay warm while running. That said, it gets old, and by now I long to be able to run in just shorts and short sleeves.

Thankfully, the forecast has warmer weather arriving soon. Which means if you found it challenging to run during the winter, now is the time to get back to it. I know it can be difficult to find the motivation, especially if you haven’t run for a while, but consistency is the key to improving how well you run and achieving your goals.

So here are three ways to get motivated after the winter we just had:

 

Wear shorts and short sleeves proudly

If you did run during the winter, you certainly bundled up, wore tights and donned several layers to protect your skin. Now you don’t have worry about that. When the temperatures are in the 60s or above, doesn’t it feel comfortable to run unencumbered by hats, gloves and layers that make you feel like the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man? And if you got new running shorts and shirts, now’s the time to put them on and show them off.

 

Find some running buddies

Yes, this would be helpful any time of the year, but running with friends makes the time go faster. And unless you’re doing speedwork, your runs should be slow enough so you can have a conversation. So use these times to run and get in shape with friends while socializing and catching up on what you missed over the winter.

 

Sign up for races

Few things are more motivating than a race on the calendar, regardless of the distance. Sign up now for a 5K in a month, and spend the next four weeks rebuilding your base mileage and doing some speedwork. You don’t have the weather to blame! If you’re goal race is a half marathon or a marathon later this year, use the change in seasons build your base and add the mileage slowly so you’re ready to hit the training program this summer. Don’t forget that you check out races through the Applied Race Management website.