It’s the offseason…now what?

I know the feeling……you just completed your fall goal race. You let yourself sleep in for the last couple weeks as a reward. You’ve been eating desserts again. Sundays spent sleeping in and watching football have been much easier to stomach than getting up for a long run. Motivation to get moving again – especially after weeks of indulgence – is harder than ever. Here’s a few ideas to get you up and moving again this offseason!

1.       Don’t make a plan. You stuck to your plan perfectly for your goal race. Now throw that out the window! See who else in your running group is running this week and make a few running dates. Don’t feel like doing a workout this week? Then don’t! Keeping active is the key here, but making sure you’re doing 8×400 faster than you ever have before is not.

2.       Pick a race! It’s good to have downtime, but make sure you set a goal as the extra motivation you may need when it’s time to get moving again. A destination race in a warm spot during the winter months is just what I need to keep getting me out the door when it’s cold and dark.

3.       Participate in your local Turkey Trot! Holiday events are some of the most fun I’ve had while racing. You can race, or you can jog in a turkey hat – and you’ll fit right in either way! Baltimore’s Gobble Cobble is in its third year and has been growing nonstop. If you’re in town on turkey day, it’s a must do! In December there are plenty of Jingle Bell runs to have some fun at as well. And of course, New Years means some Resolution Runs!

Alyssa Godesky is currently enjoying her offseason after competing in the Ironman World Championships in Kailua-Kona. You can read more about what she is up to at www.alyssagodesky.com