10 March 2021 marks one year of working from home due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the beginning I was truthfully grateful for the opportunity to work at home. My job at the time required me to either spend a lot of time on the road commuting or sleeping in hotels to eliminate the travel time. I am a house-hen and therefore this proved to take its toll on me emotionally and physically.
Commuting (on average) three hours a day decreases the window of opportunity for exercise. Leaving early and returning late and HUNGRY is not ideal when wanting to commit to a running schedule. When I started working from home I made a promise to myself that I would use the extra time for exercising, catching up on personal admin and just re-energizing after a very busy and stressful period in my life.
It’s a year later and although I am still enjoying the extra exercise time, working in my slippers and creating content for my blog, it has become more difficult to stay motivated with little to no prospect of a race anytime soon. I asked myself a few times: Why do you exercise when there are no races? What are you training for?
The simple answer – I am training for myself! And truthfully there is no better goal than achieving a feeling of health and self-love.
Understanding the “why” doesn’t mean the motivation comes more easily. Therefore, I had to turn my focus to the “how”. How can I motivate myself during these uncertain and bizarre times? I came up with the following:
1. Goal setting
Write down your goals and put this somewhere where you can see them each morning. This is a great way to stay motivated. The goal can be related to healthier eating, overall increased energy, general fitness goals or (of course) running goals.
2. Track the progress
Writing down your goals is not enough. You need to track your progress against your goal. Make a spreadsheet (spoken like a true accountant) to track your activity or keep a journal. The tracking will enable you to see your progress which is motivational. You can also include some fun and motivational quotes in your journal or spreadsheet.
3. Try new things
This is the time to try something new. Try Zumba, HIIT, Yoga or Pilates. This serves a dual purpose. You are getting in some much-needed strength training while experimenting with new forms of exercise.
4. Designated workout space
Creating a designated workout area is a key contributor to feeling motivated when doing your strength training. Having this designated area will keep you from feeling distracted. It is also more efficient as you don’t have to move the equipment around which means it is always exercise ready.
5. Races
No races! No problem! Create your own.
The past weekend I invited two friends to run a 10km with me. Our husbands were the water boys/race officials. This was loads of fun and did not only motivate me, but also the friends who participated. You can round up some friends in your own town or you can do a virtual race with a friend in a different town/country. Make sure to also have a prize for the finishers (Prosecco as a prize is also acceptable).
6. Virtual races
The feeling of community and that sense of accomplishment when you receive your medal at the end of a race are two things I really miss. Joining a virtual run is a step in the right direction. Virtual running creates a sense of normal when it comes to races. You are not only supported by the online team, but you can see the results of the other runners (keeping the competitive side to running alive) AND you receive a unique and beautiful medal at the end of the race. I use Real runs – real medals – virtual competition – virtualrunnersworld to find races. My husband and I are doing the Easter virtual run on 4 April as our next virtual race.
7. Share your journey
Strava is an example of an application that you and your exercise community can download to track each other. You can track other people’s workouts and vice versa. This is a fun way to get recognition for a workout and to track your own progress.
Good old race days 
Getting creative for race days
For more general tips on how to stay motivated during the pandemic see this cool blog post from Natalie Heeley: 16 Tips On How To Stay Motivated During Lockdown | Natalie Heeley
Create your own adventure! And then please share ideas and pictures in the comment section.