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7 Endurance Training Tips: How To Stay Motivated And Improve Your Performance.

By Coach Raeleigh | Dec 2, 2022

You might be following an endurance training plan, or maybe you’re thinking about getting started on one. No matter what your level of commitment towards your goal, you are likely thinking about how you will stay motivated and see your goal come to life! Read on for seven practical yet powerful tips to stay motivated (and inspired) toward your goal and improve your performance.

1. Know your “why”. This is top of the list because nothing else happens until you are clear on the reason/s you are aiming for the goal you have set. This is not the reason a friend, family member, or fellow athlete thinks you should do this BIG thing - it is YOURS and YOURS only. In fact, the more personal your “why”, the more likely you are to achieve your goal. Dig deep, be honest with yourself, make it as detailed as possible, and then write your reasons down. You can even create a picture board to keep you motivated.  

2. Connect with like-minded people. Create training groups, connect with training buddies, and meet up with clubs and social programs that support your goal. The juxtaposition of endurance racing is that it is quite often performed solo, yet training can be quite social. Connect with supportive people and see your motivation rise.

3. Recruit a coach. For all the time you spend training, and the money you spend on equipment and racing, don’t leave the most important things out. A coach will hold you accountable, facilitate the personalization and optimization of your training, and help with hydration, equipment, nutrition, race strategy, psychology, strength and function, workout reviews, etc. 

4. Visualize the achievement of your goal. See it (literally) in your mind's eye. See yourself achieving it. How does it feel  - how does it really feel - what emotions are present? Who is around you, who are you celebrating with, and how are you celebrating? What does it smell like, does it even have a taste? What is the weather like, what do your surroundings look like? What are you wearing? Make it as detailed as possible - include all the senses and emotions you can. Practice seeing your goal become real every day!

5. Break it down. How do you eat an elephant? And what does that have to do with endurance training and racing you might ask?! You would never sit down and eat an elephant in one sitting now, would you?! Neither would you set out to complete your first Olympic Triathlon or 50-mile ultra run off the couch. You break it down into bite-size pieces you can digest every day. You don’t have to see the end point from the beginning - you just need to see the next day, then the next week, and so on. Oh, and on the above point - a coach will help you do this! See your goal clearly - but then focus on the next step. 

6. Have clearly defined processes. These are mini goals that are action based ensuring your daily routine is (relatively speaking) effortless. Examples include laying out your clothes and equipment the night before an early morning training session, setting up your weekly calendar a week in advance so there are no last-minute surprises, or even leveraging point 2 above, and connecting with your support system in advance and know you will be there for each other. Every opportunity you have to reduce friction between an idea and action - do it! Every athlete’s process is different, and it takes some time to establish a routine, yet by making this a priority you will find very quickly you fall into a manageable schedule that brings you closer to your goal. 

7. Make it fun! Unless you are a professional athlete and HAVE to do this, I am guessing you do this for the joy of it. Pay attention to what brings a smile to your dial and do more of that! The more fun it is, the more you will want to do it, and the more you want to do it, the more fun it will be! Success in endurance training and racing is first, and most importantly, about consistency. Whatever you can do to maintain a consistent training routine (such as enjoying the ride) the more success you will have, not just on race day but along the way to it!