Goal Setting for success

I managed to finish the marathon, collected my medal and had a celebratory meal with the family. It was all rather lovely.

Then I did nothing, literally. Just look at the lack of blog posts.

Apart from a few attempts at heading to the gym and a bit of yoga my physical exertion peaked at ripping off my next piece of a baguette.

With the start of summer well on its way after months of saying no to events I began to say yes to everything. I was attending birthday drinks, Saturday nights drink, before work drinks (I work in the evenings!) and generally anytime drinks.

My social life was off the scale but my body was suffering. After a rather boozy trip to Marbella I decided I had to stop and get back to training.

I have signed up for a half marathon in September and joined a gym using the benefit of corporate membership with work.

So far so good. Goal setting for success

It did get me thinking thought about casual exercise and the people who neglect their physical health for the majority of the year only to try a bikini body blitz two weeks before their holiday.

Whilst I have been a regular gym go-er for over five years I train better when I have focus and focus comes from having a goal.

These goals need to be specific.

Most people who visit the gym want to lose weight, tone up or get fitter but these ‘goals’ are so vague it is easy to forget them.

Specific goals such as working towards an ideal weight and training for a race provide the perfect platform to a better you.

It is well worth taking a bit of time out to look at your diary and identifying what you can work towards.

A wedding in October, a holiday in December, whatever the event by being mindful of it when training will help to maintain your focus and increase the effectiveness of your training time.

Plus once you reach your goal and feel fabulous, try to remember that feeling of achievement and make sure you plan your next goal.

Otherwise, like me, you could spend all that time and effort training hard for months to simply let it slip in a matter of weeks.

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.