Motivation.....it's all in your head.

Thirty minutes into my run, which due to the bad weather has forced me indoors again, and my ipod dies.

After clocking up only 5km when I had planned to run 16km, I am stumped. What to do now?

Having taken time to put new music on my ipod to give me a motivational boost it is a blow, and in an extremely quiet gym with a bad selection of music, my determination is wavering.

There are so many things that can contribute to a successful run. Planning, a great night's sleep, good nutrition, comfortable clothing, trainers and a fully charged ipod. We do however in many cases, overlook the importance of a strong mental attitude.

It is so easy when things go wrong to throw in the towel early, give up and quit. And there have been many times when I have done just that. But this time was different.

As I mulled over my choice to continue running without music and persevere or to admit defeat, I carried on running. I focused on my running technique and the effect the change in gradient and speed had on my breath. The voice in my head telling me that I could complete the run anyway, kicked in and overpowered my doubts.

Feeling unmotivated is a natural part of training and something I need to accept. Training on your own is extra hard when you are less than determined, without a training partner or a Mr Motivator- style coach by your side to help channel a PMA (positive mental attitude).

What occurred to me today on the treadmill, was the importance of mental training as well as the physical training, to find ways in which you can motivate yourself when things do go wrong.

Not admitting defeat makes you stronger, allowing you to overcome obstacles that could have derailed you in the past. Focussing on the positive instead of the negative is such an important part of training and something I need to remember and incorporate on longer runs to come in the future.

Set backs are a part of life, it is how we deal with them and handle them that will give you the edge. As William Shakespeare so correctly observed: "There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so." So go on, choose a positive thought.

New Year; New Pain in the ITB

New Year new me and all that jazz, but most importantly back to training and to training hard.

After a rather overindulgent festive period, which my body paid the price for, I am going to try having a dry January and getting back to peak physical condition. But as we all know that is easier said than done.

Training before Christmas was problematic, cold and icy weather meant training outside was less than desirable, but the main problem I was experiencing was with my right knee.

From having the same injury before I suspected that the pain was caused by my ITB, which is the Iliotibial Band a ligament, which runs from the pelvis to below the knee. Long distance running can cause inflammation of the ITB, which then rubs on the femur (thigh bone) causing pain on the outer side of the knee.

The problem with ITB syndrome, as it is commonly known, is that if not properly treated it will reoccur almost 1-2 km into a run. So it is essential that it is treated prior to recommencing training. The easiest home method is to perform an ITB stretch on a foam roller, so I have been stretching out the ligament almost daily.

With Christmas and New Year providing the perfect opportunity to rest up I enjoyed myself without worrying about slipping behind in my training. I went to see my doctor and was given an ibuprofen gel, which I have been applying daily, so far so good.

Part self pampering and part medicinal I decided a fully body massage, with special attention to my legs, would be a good idea to try and really give me knee TLC prior to training again.

The high levels of snow that we have seen in Manchester which has brought the region to a halt, has given me another reason to shirk training but today I put on my wellies and managed to negotiate the snow successfully to get to the gym.

Long distance running on a treadmill is quite possibly the most boring activity, particularly when the gym is almost empty and people watching opportunities non-existent.
Luckily, not wanting to overdo it I managed 5 miles in 44 minutes comfortably and without pain from my knee. Hooray.

A small step for me getting back into training, but a great moral boost for the coming months.

Its only early days but I plan to increase my distance back up again slowly and I will be foam rollering and stretching excessively to try and keep the ITB syndrome at bay.