Every 4 weeks of training, I have decided to reward myself with some retail therapy. Basically, it's my incentive to work hard, stay focused, and it enables my strong desire to buy more Oiselle clothes!!
Some people run so they can eat all the foods, some people run so they can drink all the beers, some people run so they can drink all the wines, and some people run for the health benefits. But, I basically want to do ALL of that AND buy myself new gear. So, I'm doing it.
I train basically all year long and it takes up SO much time and SO much energy every day, every week, every month. I really think balance is important for everything, so, for running, a little reward system is the perfect tool for me. I love running and I wouldn't trade my ability to enjoy training for anything. But, it can be so time consuming and grueling that sometimes I need a little pick-me-up to keep the wheels turning.
For one marathon training cycle, I gave up sweets and my reward AFTER the race was all the sweets. That was not great. First, I craved sweets all.thee.damn.time. I never wanted sweets more than I did when I told myself I couldn't have them. This was a bad choice of a reward system because it just made me frustrated that I had to wait 4 months to eat any god forsaken chocolate. So, I never went with that system again.
After learning from a few mistakes, I'm now trying this new reward system. I think it's important to treat yo' self occasionally, and it's probably even better to treat myself to something not loaded with sugar (I actually rarely crave sweets now that I can eat them whenever I want during training). Running apparel was a great choice for me at the moment, because I just joined the Oiselle Volee and I want to continue to support their brand. Oiselle is a responsibly sourced running brand that has wonderful values and I am so eager to keep adding their items to my wardrobe.
So, my first reward was last month. I got the following items from Oiselle: Black Mac Roga Shorts, Black Lesley Tights, and Burgen Flyte Tank.
I am in love with all three of the items and I can't wait to decide what to treat myself to at the end of the next 4 weeks of training!
How do you maintain motivation for yourself (for races, work, fitness, etc.)?? If you find yourself reaching a plateau or stopping your progress completely, consider a self-motivating tool like a reward system! I guess it's a bit like bribery but for yourself. I'm all for it and it works for me!
Some people run so they can eat all the foods, some people run so they can drink all the beers, some people run so they can drink all the wines, and some people run for the health benefits. But, I basically want to do ALL of that AND buy myself new gear. So, I'm doing it.
I train basically all year long and it takes up SO much time and SO much energy every day, every week, every month. I really think balance is important for everything, so, for running, a little reward system is the perfect tool for me. I love running and I wouldn't trade my ability to enjoy training for anything. But, it can be so time consuming and grueling that sometimes I need a little pick-me-up to keep the wheels turning.
For one marathon training cycle, I gave up sweets and my reward AFTER the race was all the sweets. That was not great. First, I craved sweets all.thee.damn.time. I never wanted sweets more than I did when I told myself I couldn't have them. This was a bad choice of a reward system because it just made me frustrated that I had to wait 4 months to eat any god forsaken chocolate. So, I never went with that system again.
After learning from a few mistakes, I'm now trying this new reward system. I think it's important to treat yo' self occasionally, and it's probably even better to treat myself to something not loaded with sugar (I actually rarely crave sweets now that I can eat them whenever I want during training). Running apparel was a great choice for me at the moment, because I just joined the Oiselle Volee and I want to continue to support their brand. Oiselle is a responsibly sourced running brand that has wonderful values and I am so eager to keep adding their items to my wardrobe.
So, my first reward was last month. I got the following items from Oiselle: Black Mac Roga Shorts, Black Lesley Tights, and Burgen Flyte Tank.
I am in love with all three of the items and I can't wait to decide what to treat myself to at the end of the next 4 weeks of training!
How do you maintain motivation for yourself (for races, work, fitness, etc.)?? If you find yourself reaching a plateau or stopping your progress completely, consider a self-motivating tool like a reward system! I guess it's a bit like bribery but for yourself. I'm all for it and it works for me!