How to Keep Your Fitness Resolutions on Track in 2016

This post has been contributed by Beth Jones.

Your New Year’s resolutions for 2016 are just around the corner.  And we all start January with so much enthusiasm for the new year, and a determination to reach our goals.

However, it’s incredibly common for those good intentions to quickly fall by the wayside.  And then often the goals we really want, are never quite reached.

But don’t let that happen in 2016!

So whether your fitness goals are to lose weight, or perhaps to increase your stamina.  Or perhaps it’s to develop muscle mass.  Well, it’s important to note that just having a resolution isn’t enough.  Doing only that is what most others do, and how does that work out for others?  Exactly.

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Rance Costa on Flickr

So it takes a little more to overcome obstacles, and get the body you really want.  Here’s a few tips to keep in mind:

You Must Plan for Success

The first step is simply writing the goal down.

Get that goal, that resolution, out of your head and onto paper.  Yes, paper!  Not your computer screen.

Write it out by hand, and even better if you can pin it up on your wall.  That’s a great start.

People who actually have written goals are far more successful.  Really.  Rather than just thinking about them, you’re far more likely to actually reach them.  That simple act helps take your focus and motivation to a whole other level.

And one question you need to ask yourself – is the goal realistic?  What you can achieve is amazing.  Don’t shrink your dreams, but you’ve also got to keep your feet on the ground.  Otherwise you’re setting yourself up to fail right from the start.

Then, what actions specifically will you need to take to reach the goal?

When will you take those actions?  For how long?  And how often?

It’s important to keep actions realistic too.  Two hours of exercise a day if you have a very busy work and personal life probably won’t work!  So you have to figure out a way to reach your goals, within the limitations your life puts on you.

Sometimes joining with others when exercising can be helpful.  A boot camp like Prestige Boot Camp has helped many reach their intended goals.

Keep Track of Your Gains

As you start to make gains through your fitness work, it’s often easy to overlook them.  There’s a simple reason for this.  When getting better at something, that positive progress can sometimes be overlooked entirely.

So find a way to keep track of the benefits you’re receiving.  This could be as simple as weighing yourself regularly.  Or perhaps it’s seeing how your fitness just keeps on growing.  This could perhaps be that your running time keeps improving week by week, and month by month.

Reward Yourself

Life isn’t all work and goals, it’s also fun!  So reward yourself for staying on track.  But that said, the biggest reward can be actually reaching your goals.

So picture having your goal, while you’re still working on it.  And soon enough the day will come when thought becomes reality.

Do you have any fitness goals for the coming year? I am hoping for a half marathon pb, but mainly I want to keep on enjoying running, and maybe get a bit more involved with parkrun.

Reindeer running! And Garmin fails!

Last weekend was another lovely weekend of running. We had a work night out on Friday night, including a trip to The Pudding Stop, so a parkrun was just what I fancied the next morning. I was doing the new runners briefing but it was so windy I had to shout and I am not sure everyone could hear me!

When getting my chip scanned I realised I hadn’t stopped my watch, but although I pressed it, I didn’t press it hard enough, as I walked back to the car, started driving home and it then beeped to tell me 4 miles. So although Strava tells me I did my fastest 500m, I think that was probably when I was in my car!

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My Virtual runner 5k (week 1) medal was waiting for me when I got home!

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After a shower I had to pop into town, so gave my Kermit hat an outing! I was complimented by three different people while I was out! I love it!

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While I was out I was tempted by some festive food items- Wensleydale with cranberries, and some gorgeous medjool dates.

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I then did a spot of baking as for the first time in ages we were going to Andy’s parents for Sunday dinner. This was an oaty biscuity base, topped with a mixture of mincemeat, homegrown apples and cranberries, and then topped with a marzipan lattice. It was so good even if I do say so myself!

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On the Sunday I went out on my own fairly early. I ended up doing 2 laps of a lovely route- the first half along roads (boring) and the second half across fields. It was gorgeous, so I stopped for some photos.

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I was impressed that my nails matched my top and trainers!

After a shower and some crumpets, I was off out as I was doing a Reindeer run (1.5k) with a friend’s husband and 3 year old. It turned into more of a Reindeer-carry, and it drizzled at the end, but it was good to do, and we got to keep the flashing nose and antlers. Plus who doesn’t want a Rudolph medal?

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I took my Garmin with me as we were curious about the distance (the map didn’t seem like it would be that far) but for some reason even though I stopped it after my morning run, and re-started it later, it seemed to think I ran from home to the next town. You can see my morning run and then the Reindeer run!

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Then we went out for brunch and instead of pancakes (well, it was really lunch as I had breakfast after the first run) I had a Bill’s bread basket which had mini croissants and toasted sourdough. Then we had a wander around the Christmas market before heading around to Andy’s family.

I tried to split the run up, but with Strava I can delete either the beginning or the end or the run, but I can’t delete a middle part of it, so if anyone technical knows, then I would appreciate the help! It’s messing up my yearly mileage!

Are you doing any festive runs? I found out about a 5 mile run near me this Sunday so I have signed up (it’s only £5 too), although we are off to Bath and get back late Saturday night so I hope I still fancy it then! Plus I have the rest of my Virtual Run 5k series to go.

Poppy challenge 2015

You may have noticed that recently I have been doing quite a few virtual runs. I really like them, they raise money for charity and they have fab medals. This year they did a Poppy Challenge in November, which instead of being a race, totalled up your mileage over the month. I joined in because it was a great cause (they raised over £4,500 for the British Legion), the medal was gorgeous, there was no Poppy Run near me this year, and I thought it would keep me out running as the weather got colder and the evenings darker.

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I learnt how to take a screenshot! It’s surprisingly easy! Hooray!

According to Strava I managed 76 miles in November, and as the Poppy Challenge was in km, that was just over 120km! Amazing. After I had submitted my distance, I realised that walking counted as well, but I was not sure how to find that on the Garmin connect site, so I left it as that.

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It arrived very soon after I submitted my proof.

I think it really did help keep me running though. I think everyone gets tired at this time of year, and although I love running, and feel better for it, after a long day at work sometimes I have been tempted to just stay at home instead. I used to do 3 runs per week, but since marathon training I have been aiming for 4, and I nearly managed that, with 15 runs in November. Two Saturdays ago I marshalled at parkrun, and it was so cold. I had planned a run when I got home, but I really felt like I could not face going back out in the cold. A combination of earning miles for the challenge, and another running buddy in the same boat as me (I will if you will) meant I got out there, and even though my ears were aching with cold (needed to find my ear warmers) it was great to be outside, and running in the daylight.

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It matches my 50 parkrun top! Although I didn’t wear it when running today!

I am not affiliated with them in any way, I just really like them. The website is here, and they do have international entries too.

Do you ever do challenges like this? I have seen lots of run streak/ run every day in… challenges, but I know they are not for me. I can do 4 days in a row and then I get tired and slow down and just need a rest day, and also it is stressful trying to fit in a run every day when work and other commitments keep on coming, so this type of challenge was perfect for me as it encouraged me without me feeling the need to push beyond what was appropriate for me.

A festive weekend in Strasbourg

So for the last few years we have spent a weekend visiting a European Christmas market. Years ago we went to Copenhagen, (although that was just for the festive shops and Tivoli gardens), and since then have been to Bruges, Cologne and Brussels, and last year Vienna. The Germanic ones are the best by far, but going by Eurostar (which we did for Bruges and Cologne) is far better. When we were looking this year, Strasbourg in France came up as being voted the best Christmas market, and it looked such a pretty place too.

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This huge Disney soft toy tree is at the train station. While we were stood there a man walked past, reached over the fence and pulled one of the toys, and the whole tree rippled (they must be attached to a cone shaped structure)- not sure what he was thinking would happen…

So on Friday night we got to the last train out to Paris, stayed in a hotel by the station, and on Saturday morning got the train to Strasbourg. Train travel is so relaxing- we brought some lunch with us, listened to podcasts, chatted and enjoyed the view.

We arrived at around 1pm, and our hotel room was ready so after leaving our bags we headed out.

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This huge tree was in the centre of a square and smelled amazing! Like you were in the middle of a pine forest.

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There were so many beautiful buildings- like something from a fairy tale. There were lots of markets (maybe 8?) scattered about the centre of the town, all within easy walking distance, so we just wandered.

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There was a huge cathedral with a market in front- this was really similar to the centre of Cologne. We stopped for a drink here- I had some gorgeous hot apple juice with 7 spices and honey (I like going to France because I can actually understand a lot of the signs!) and Andy had a Gluwein (which is half the point of going I think!).

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As well as plenty of Christmas markets, there was a lovely river so we had a walk along that for a bit as the sun was going down.

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We had a bit of a rest in the hotel before heading back out to enjoy the markets in the evening before they closed.

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Everywhere looked so pretty in the dark.

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We walked back to the same markets from earlier. This time I had a hot chocolate to warm up (it’s got to be done).

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The next morning our train wasn’t until lunch time, so we had a walk around the town, had a breakfast of almond croissant+ hot chocolate, before getting the train back to Paris.

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We got the underground into the centre (after buying tickets, it turned out that the trains were free for that day) and then walked along the river, to the Louvre, then along to the Champs Elysée to the Christmas market there, although that was a bit of a nightmare and more like how I imagine Winter Wonderland to be- a lot of tat, a lot of fairground rides, and not really that festive. It was really busy, but there were police everywhere (not surprising) and most shops were searching bags, so one of us would wait outside with our rucksacks while the other went in. We bought some sandwiches for the train, and then headed back to check in for the Eurostar home.

2015-11-28 20.20.37We bought a gingerbread to share- I have no idea how they make them so tasty as they are like a cross between cake and biscuit.

It was such a lovely weekend- travelling by train is so much less stressful than by plane, and the markets were so festive, it was a great place to visit. I even managed to buy a few gifts so have finally begun my Christmas shopping (and nothing on Black Friday either!).

Are you starting to feel festive now? Are you a fan of Christmas markets?