Many of us (some more than others) are anxiously awaiting HBO’s iconic series the Game Of Thrones (GOT) to begin its final season in the next month. The phrase, “Winter is Coming” comes from GOT and now seems a part of our lexicon. However, for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, just the opposite is occurring over the next month or so…Winter is Leaving. So here are some suggestions as we all get excited for longer days, more sunshine and warmer temps:
1) Give yourself a break.
Many of us haven’t had the opportunity to run outdoors, bike outdoors (if at all) or do many other sports specific training outside during the winter. While we may have cross-trained or done some of these sports indoors and gained strength, we’re still going to be a bit “rusty” when we move it outside. So give yourself some time to adapt to training outdoors once again. It takes a bit of time. You WILL feel tired or lethargic at first. But trust that your aerobic engine is there and will power you through that adaptation period.
2) Check your equipment.
If you’ve used your equipment strictly indoors, sparsely or not at all, it’s super important to take a closer look at their condition. Is anything worn out from the previous year and needs to be replaced? Does your bike need a complete tune up? Have you improved your strength over the winter enough to warrant an upgrade (I bet most of us would say YES regardless of if it were true or not)? Check it all before you go out on that first full training day.
3) Review training areas and groups.
Hey, it’s been a while, right? Is that makeshift trail you used to run still there or are there new condos in its place? What’s the status of the parks? And how about those group rides or runs - are they still going or when do they start back up? Wait, you haven’t joined a group in years? Well now might be the perfect year to do so! Check your local sports clubs, gyms, runs stores, bike shops etc and find out what events are coming up this spring.
4) Remain grateful.
If you’ve been consistent in “moving” all winter in some form or fashion, then get excited to “move" outside. If you’ve struggled all winter just trying to move, then get even more excited about getting outside and making it happen! Enjoying sport outside is a gift, and believe me, you’ll quickly feel that and become motivated and inspired for the upcoming season. Be grateful when it happens!
So even though half the country has had winter blizzards and excessive flooding this past week, start getting excited because “Winter Is Leaving!"