5 Tips to beat your excuses

It’s the middle of the week and the weather still isn’t great for outdoor training. At this time of year, when training isn’t yet race-specific, it’s easy to make excuses to skip out on a workout. Don’t let yourself get behind on your winter base-building for no good reason. The workouts you’re putting in now, while maybe not the most fun, are giving you the platform you need to be faster and fitter this race season. Here are five tips for overpowering your excuses and getting it done this week.

Acknowledge the source

Where are your excuses coming from? Are you dreading your long run because you feel you’re not quite ready for the distance? Are you avoiding the pool because swimming’s your weakest sport? We tend to make excuses out of fear. Acknowledge what’s stopping you, think about how you can tackle it one bit at a time and focus on overcoming your fear. You’ll thank yourself in three months.

How do you feel?

For most of us, skipping a workout for no good reason leaves us feeling unsatisfied. Next time you skip out on your session without a valid reason, remember how it made you feel. If you don’t feel like heading out the door for your morning swim, remind yourself not only how bad you’ll feel if you skip it but how great you’ll feel once it’s over.

Track your progress

It’s easy to skip a workout for no reason if you aren’t looking at it within a context. Did you set a goal for yourself to ride a certain number of kilometres each week? Making an excuse to not ride tonight might mean you don’t achieve your goal this week. If you’re looking at each workout within the context of your greater training plan, you’ll see the major consequences of skipping out for no reason.

Take responsibility

It’s common to make excuses that lay the blame elsewhere. “The weather sucks” and “I don’t have the right equipment” are common ones during the winter. Taking control of the conditions, putting in extra efforts where necessary and just getting out there and going for it makes you a stronger triathlete. Succumbing to weak excuses does not.

Remember why it’s important

Remembering your ultimate goal, even when it seems distant, is a great way to stop making excuses. Is this the year of your first full distance race? Remind yourself what it’s going to feel like crossing that finish line, having put in all the work you could. That feeling is far more valuable than any excuse you can find right now to relax.