Give Yourself a Break from the 0 to 100 Mentality

Runners can be hard on themselves when it comes to self-competition. There’s always that next mile, there’s always that next goal…and we can’t get there fast enough. When reaching for that next fitness level, give yourself a break and ease your way into it. Listen to your body whether you’re a novice or pro. Follow a few of these tips, and before you know it, you’ll be looking at that goal in the rear view mirror.

• When trying to increase speed or distance, do so in small increments. For instance, if your challenge is to add three miles to your current one-mile run, increase by a half-mile each time you run for a couple of weeks. On the third week, try to add the half-mile to bring you to your goal.
• Keep in mind that you need to take a few days off from running when you’ve reached a goal.

Remember, reaching goals is only half the battle. How you actually manage the new challenge counts equally.