Returning to a "New Normal"

Hello everyone! How are we all? How is everyone starting to adjust to life in a "new normal"?

The last couple of weeks have been pretty hectic for me, having spent 3 months off work on furlough leave I was finally called back to work! I was so glad to be able to get out of the house again and get back to the place I love, but along with that came a few problems… Finding time for running! Not only was it a case of finding time to go running, it was also a case of finding a new place to go running too. Although I have been lucky enough to be allowed to run around work!

I won't lie, since going back to work I feel like my training/running has been less productive than it was during lockdown. But the main thing is… I'm still doing it. I won't lie, it has been a bit of a struggle on some days dragging myself out for a run though, but I am continuing to work towards my half marathon goal in September. 

But how do we keep on track with our fitness goals and challenges once things are slowly returning to a "new normal"? Today I thought I'd share with you my tips for this.

1.Plan your exercise into your schedule…

I'm a bit of a planner if you hadn't already guessed from my previous blog posts! Settling back into a routine isn't easy, especially if like me you'd been on furlough leave for three months, but try not to let things slip. For example, during lockdown I was running three times a week, usually Tuesday, Thursday and then either Saturday or Sunday. Since being back at work I've really tried to keep that up by sticking to those days.

2. Remember how you feel after doing your exercise...

Since being back at work I've started running in the evening after work rather than in the morning. This has meant getting home and going straight back out for a run. As easy as it is to think "I'm too tired, I don't want to do this" I try to remember how I feel after a run and how much satisfaction it brings.

3. Set yourself a challenge 

Pick a challenge to work towards to keep yourself motivated. Medalmad have a great variety of challenges you can work towards, from 5K and 10K to greater distances that'll take longer to complete. Whichever you choose it'll sure be an incentive to keep you active. I've completed a lot of challenges lately and have enjoyed coming home to them. I'm also really looking forward to completing my Sorting Hat 50K challenge as well as "Into the Unknown" and "How Far will you Go".

4. Have fun...

At the end of all of this just remember to enjoy it and have fun. Enjoy getting out there and exploring.