3 Tips for Getting Started with Your Endurance Training

Have a vision for doing a race or event this summer? Wonder how in the heck to get started? If so, you are not alone. Dreaming about an event you’d like to do is something lots of aspiring endurance athletes do. I love to dream. Moving from dreaming to action is the tricky part. After a long, dark, cold winter, staying cozy in bed is lots easier than taking athletic action.

To get motivated, I figured out these three strategies to get me going. Since I love sharing, here they are for you!

3 tips to get you started:

  1. Sign up for the event.

Seems obvious, right? Turns out, actually picking an event and then signing up and paying the money to enter the event is ACTION. And this step requires commitment. To get myself to move from dreaming to motion, this is my Number 1 step. It’s powerful.

This year, I’ve signed up for the Tour de Cure Twin Cities, the 62 mile bike route. This Tour de Cure will be Saturday, June 2nd.  I know from previous years, that I MUST train to be able to complete a 62 mile ride!! That in and of itself is very motivating for me.

The other event I’ve signed up for is the YWCA Sprint triathlon. It’s not until August, which still feels far away. That said, I will do a 14 week training plan and the plan will begin on May 6th. That’s just around the corner. To prep, I know I need to buy a new pair of run shoes and I need to get back in the pool. Already I’m taking action!

  1. Backward plan how many weeks you have until the event and organize your training.

This one isn’t always so obvious. Once you pick your event, you need to make sure you have a plan to get fit enough to DO the event! And do the event with a smile on your face, since enjoying the event makes it even more fun! I am a big fan of backward planning and of having fun.

Because I have diabetes, I like to build in extra time to my training, since I need to have time to experiment with nutrition and keeping my blood sugars in range. The Tour de Cure bike ride is June 2nd and my sprint triathlon is August 12th. I will do a 16 week training plan for the bike ride and a 14 week training plan for the triathlon. That means as of February 18th I’ve been in training! You better believe I have been on my bike trainer 3 to 5 days a week doing drills and logging hours in the saddle!

Backward planning 100% moves me out of dreaming into action!! May it do the same for you!

  1. Start scheduling your training sessions every Sunday for the coming week.

A few years ago, I discovered that planning my training sessions on Sunday evening for the coming week, made a huge difference in my ability to stick to my plan. I consider my training sessions to be appointments with my well-being. They are dates I create with myself. Once I started doing this, I reflected that I value the appointments I made with others, why not value myself as much as I value others. That insight caused me to take myself seriously. And lo and behold, I became an even better athlete, and I started having even more fun!

Now it’s YOUR turn!!!

Go sign up for your event and here in the comments, tell me and all of us, what your event will be! That way, by publicly stating it, you will have me and the community to support you and hold you accountable!

Then figure out the training plan you will use, and backwards plan for when you will officially start. If the time is now, then figure out which day each week you will schedule your training sessions!

And for sure, pat yourself on the back! You are prioritizing your health and well-being. You are worth it! Way to go!!

On my bike trainer getting ready!
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4 thoughts on “3 Tips for Getting Started with Your Endurance Training”

  1. So very happy to see you back!! I’m not quite at the point where I’m ready to commit to an event, but I will commit to reading your posts and exercising twice per week. And with the time change, I hope to ramp that up to 3 times in a month. And by summer I hope to be back on my bike and doing 8-10 mile rides. Thanks for the inspiration!

    • Leah,
      Thanks for your comment and best of all, I love hearing that you are committed to exercising twice per week, and reading my posts!!! You just made my day! I’m excited that before you know it you’ll be up to three times a week and riding your bike outside!!! Way to go! I’m super proud of you!
      Mari

  2. Ok Mari…I signed up for the Oakland half marathon Aug 12th! I have a 3 month training program to start in June but am having a hard time building up to the expected base level of training which is running 3-4 mi 3-4 x week because of heel pain or knee pain or … just feeling like it’s too much for my body right now. SO maybe I will do the walking program and just run a little bit.

    • Hello Ara!!
      YES, you are a very fast walker!!! I love the idea of you walking 3 – 4 times a week for 3 to 4 miles!!! That is an excellent strategy!! Have you heard of Jeff Galloway? He’s the expert on walk/run strategies. My suggestion is you check out his book called Galloway’s Book on Running, by Jeff Galloway. In it he talks at length about run/walk strategies, plus the book has half marathon training plans! Plus 5K and 10K plans. Be kind to your body, you’ve been through a LOT and listening to your Inner Healer is very important! She is very wise!
      With love,
      Mari

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