MARCH MILES + APRIL GOALS

What. A. Month!  I felt like March FLEW by, but maybe it was because I was so super busy all month.  I took on a few extra side jobs, working with other female entrepreneurs with their branding + other behind-the-scenes support, which definitely kept me busy!  And that whirlwind trip to NYC also helped make the time fly by!  I definitely stayed busy and that always seems to make time go faster.  While I don't want to speed things up (I need all the time I can get), the days that go by just mean I am that much closer to summer break!As far as running, March was a tough month for me.  I had been making HUGE strides in my training up until this month.  And then, I hit a plateau.  While I had a decent race this month, I was not thrilled with how I raced.  And it left me completely defeated and burnt out.  It started to become a struggle to get out of bed to run and I was just not looking forward to my daily runs.What do you do when you hit a plateau and running becomes a struggle?  You have to make a change.  I’ve been thinking about this for awhile, but I knew it was time for me to hire a running coach.  Yes, I know.  I’m a coach.  I should know how to train myself.  And believe me, I do.  But, just like any other runner, I still struggle with accountability + motivation.  I’ll do the bare minimum on my runs just because who’s keeping track for me?  I will push myself when I know I shouldn’t because I have no one to answer to.  And believe me, it took A LOT for me to finally pull the trigger to hire someone to coach me.  I LOVE being in control of everything, but I knew that if I wanted to push past this plateau quickly, I needed someone else’s perspective + some accountability to get me out the door.  Plus, every competitive + elite runner I know has a coach, so I knew this was my next step.One week in, and I’m already THRILLED that I made the decision to hire a coach!  I will for sure give you a more detailed post in the future about working with a running coach, but just know, having someone in your ear on your runs can make all the difference.  I can’t slack off.  I can’t skip my workout because I’m tired.  And I have someone who is going to force me to get uncomfortable - and change can’t happen until we are willing to get in an uncomfortable position.  I’m excited to see where it takes me, but I am hopeful for a sub-19:45 5K in the near future!March Miles:  102.24Year-to-Date:  299.8So, I have some “different” goals for April.  Because I have someone coaching me now, my goals are a little more motivation based than mileage or time based.  One of them is to STOP PRESSING SNOOZE!  This has become an AWFUL habit of mine.  I seriously used to NEVER press snooze - until this school year.  Once I decided to make 4AM my normal run time throughout the school year, snooze has become my best friend + worst enemy.  I am constantly making excuses to sleep in a little longer, but all it has ended up doing is making me more exhausted because I’m not being consistent in my sleep schedule.So, I turned snooze off on my phone and now I HAVE to get out of bed at 4AM.  I can’t halfass my workouts anymore, so I need to have the FULL time, instead of having to skip a cool down (oops).The other thing I am committed to doing this month is waking up on Mondays (at 4AM) to do some yoga + devotions.  I NEED to continue doing yoga because I KNOW how good it is for my body - especially for someone who HATES stretching.  Plus, if I’m going to be up at 4AM, I might as well make good use of my time, right?!  My goal is every Monday in April, and hopefully that will help me start a good habit.Now, if only I can start getting into a better night time routine...