Recently, I have been taking a break off from running to work over the summer and to start the semester off well in terms of grades and campus involvement. However, not being able to go up this weekend to run the NYC Marathon which I had planned to do has motivated me to start training for a new city to run in. While it has been difficult to train and it will get harder when the winter comes, I am motivated to be able to travel to Los Angeles, CA for the LA Marathon in 2017. However, before I can commit to going out there for the weekend, I must follow these tips to train successfully for a long distance race.

1. Create a schedule to keep track of runs

The most important part of being able to motivate yourself to run each day is to have a schedule there to guide you through the training. There are many iPhone apps that work really well at creating useful guides to training with the correct amount of mileage per week. These apps will alternate short faster runs with longer runs for optimal training. In addition, it will start to gradually increase mileage in order to train you for the full race distance.

2. Use a running app.

Running apps allow you to track workouts and how you progress throughout the workout. The workout app shows you how far you have run and how long it has taken. In addition, it says the pace so that you can compare it between workouts. This app is an essential piece and works very well in motivating runners.

3. Pick an event

Choosing an event to run is very important for motivating yourself to be able to continue to train hard through a long and cold winter. Pick an event in a place you wish to visit or have never been before to add to the enjoyment when running the event. This will enable you to focus less on the pain of running and more on the beautiful race and location.

4. Getting out there and running.

Whether it's with your best friend or by yourself listening to your favorite music, make sure to get out there and start running. After training for the 2015 NYC Marathon, I feel that the hardest parts of a workout are getting outside and being able to start the run as well as when you are about 70% finished with the run. Therefore, it's important to find motivating factors to be able to get outside and get the training going. If there are always excuses that are not allowing the runs to happen then it will be difficult to train for the race.

These examples are just a couple of ways to stay motivated and be able to reach your goals of running a long distance race. I think that many people who think they are not able to could work toward this goal. The tasks might seem very difficult as first but I think that building up to longer runs is all that is needed to be successful.