5 Tips for working out on Winter mornings

Brrr, it has definitely been chilly these past few days. This makes me want to stay in bed, so when my alarm goes off at 6am I have been less enthusiastic about getting up!

image via Buzzfeed

Here are some tips I have put together for staying warm in winter if you are exercising, whether it be outside or in your own home.

1. Set the alarm. 
Even though this doesn't work in every situation, I find that setting my alarm stops me from going back to sleep as I put my phone alarm far enough away so that I have to get up to reach it anyway. This means that I am up, and so it is harder for me to justify getting back into bed. It is important to listen to your body though, and if you really need a sleep in then feel free to crawl back under the covers!

2. Set out clothes.
I know a few people who sleep in their workout clothes, or put them right beside the bed. For me, I put my clothes out by my heat pump and get dressed there! Not only does it encourage me to walk out to where I exercise, it also means that my clothes are warm since my heat pump automatically goes on each morning. If you are venturing outside lots of layers are a must, including gloves and a hat.

3. Change your exercise routine.
If you are really struggling with getting up in the morning to do early exercise, consider doing it after your evening meal or at another time of day. Personally, I have been working out after I drop my son at school as then my other son is usually happy to eat his second breakfast and I feel more alert. For others, this might mean joining an indoor class instead of exercising outside. There are many great community exercise opportunities run my fitness groups, your local council and recreation centres.

4. Buddy Up.
I am always more inclined to exercise if I know someone is waiting for me to show up, as the accountability keeps me going. I belong to a running group, Extra Mile Runners, so the opportunity to run with a group is more appealing than me trying to run in the dark on my own. Doing a gym session with a friend or even going for an afternoon stroll with a family member can also work well to change things up and keep you active during the colder months.

5. Have a hot drink or meal in mind. 
I look forward to my morning coffee, so planning a hot coffee after a morning workout, or making a hot herbal tea after a run outside, are sure fire ways to keep me warm. I am a naturally cold person, so in winter I prefer hot meals too. A workout will warm me up, and then to keep that warm buzz going I enjoy an omelette or some porridge and a hot drink after my workout session.



Do you have any tips for keeping motivated in winter? I would love to know!

No excuses- my Journey to a 10k

If you had told me a year ago that I would run the Christchurch Marathon 10 kilometre race (6.2 miles) yesterday, I would have laughed. I HATED running- the only times I tried it I ended up giving up after three minutes. However, as my readers will know, in January this year I joined a running club after my Dad brought me a long to a track session, and I also did the 5k Color Run in February. When I heard that my brother and Dad were doing the 10k and Half Marathon events for the Christchurch Marathon this year, I started to wonder how far I could push myself. My longest run had been 8 kilometres, and all of a sudden I started to think I could do more than that.

A little bit of back story is probably needed- I was born with a hip condition and it was thought that I would never walk. I used my hip as an excuse to get out of exercising, and finally I knew I needed to stop making excuses and start doing something about my weight. I lost 30 kilograms (done over 5 years and fluctuating a bit due to two pregnancies) and have maintained my weight for over a year now.



Running was the next step in keeping myself active- once I had lost the weight I needed a new challenge and something that I enjoyed. Running has filled that gap. I had been to gyms, done Zumba, and also buggy group fitness sessions, and I was ready to up my game a bit.

I entered the 10k event, but it didn't sink in until I went to pick up my race pack that the enormity of this event was larger than I had expected. The nerves started to kick in, and putting my race number on was almost surreal. I tried to take my mind off things by putting my Running Girl nails on and reading lots of books.



I was up at 5:45am to eat some breakfast and get ready to go.



So- there I was at the start yesterday, waiting with my Dad and brother.



If you can't tell, it was extremely cold! I had on so many layers, and even a beanie was required. There was a frost, and parts of the half marathon track were extremely icy. However, off we went and eventually I warmed up at about the 4 kilometre mark, where I saw some family members cheering me and my brother on. For part of the course I was running with my Dad and brother, the three of us in a row, and I remember thinking how awesome it was that the three of us were doing it together.

The course was nice and flat, and we even got to run alongside the runway of the airport on a maintenance track. I started to struggle as we turned onto this part, but I knew that the finish line was coming up and my family was waiting for me.



I was getting too hot by this stage, so off came my beanie but it wouldn't tuck into my pants so I had to carry it with me.

I kept up the pace with my brother right until the end, when he had enough energy left over for a sprint!



I was so pleased to see that finish line, and the rush I got afterwards was amazing. I saw my sons and husband after the race, and also stayed around to watch my Dad finish the half marathon.

It took all day to warm up after the race, so plenty of coffee and sunshine was required.



My dream goal was to do the 10 kilometre course in 55 minutes. During training, my times for a ten kilometre run had gone from 1:03 to 58 minutes and then to just over 56 minutes. When I saw this time I was so proud of myself. I am also extremely pleased with my placing in my age group.



I am not sure yet what my next running goal will be, as I am not sure if I want to go up to half marathons. I feel like I would be better off working on my pacing for ten kilometres, as I am concerned that anything over that might aggravate my hip or I may injure myself. In the meantime, I will continue to enjoy my Saturday runs.

Photos thanks to Bevan and my husband!

My Running Crew

ExtraMile Runners is a Christchurch based team that provides group running programmes for all different levels of runners from the absolute to beginner who wants to get into the habit of regular exercise to those more experienced runners wanting to beat a PB in a 10km or half marathon. The programmes are between 8-10 weeks long and include 3 group training sessions a week with some of Christchurch's top coaches. The programmes are based on building community, having fun and growing people, we believe that these are the keys to being successful at exercise, we truly believe that we have the best team around!

I joined Extra Mile Runners at the beginning of the year and have gone from no running to running a 10 kilometre course within the three months I have been running with just the Saturday Runners group. The support, friendships and motivation are what keep me going every week- that and the fact that my Dad runs with the group too so he is my wake up call- can you tell he runs a lot harder than me! Everyone pushes me to do my best and there is always coffee at the end of each run.

This running group also helped me to tick a goal off my 30 before 30 list, and I completed my 5k Color Run at the end of February. I am now aiming to do the 10k course at the Christchurch Marathon in June. 

If you live in the Christchurch area and are keen to meet new people, improve your fitness or run a 5k or 10k race, I really recommend Extra Mile Runners. Each coach has a smile on their face, the camaraderie is amazing, and you even get your own personal cheer team at the end of each run. For more information, check out their website or Facebook page.

Next Groups: 

Stepping Up: 21 April, 15 June
Get up to Five (0-5km programme): 23 March, 18 May, 13 July 

Club10k (10km programme): 23 March, 18 May, 13 July
RaceTeam (Half Marathon programme): 23 March, 29 June & 14 September

Saturday Runners: Regular Saturday morning running group - all year round.