MAINTAINING MOTIVATION

This is all designed to edge you ever closer to making your dreams come true. Arguably, it’s all a little too neat. Motivation’s a temperamental beast. Throw in the chaotic world we call ‘real life’ and clear January goals can soon become foggy as the year and its travails roll on.

“That’s where an online training platform [like TrainingPeaks and Golden Cheetah] comes in,” says NcNamee. “I have a clear countdown of how many weeks until my next event and grow confidence in looking back on the training I’ve already done. Also, when you need that extra hit of motivation, I like watching past editions of my goal race on YouTube.”

Heart rate monitors, power meters and images of your goal race on your fridge are further motivational shots in the arm with further suggestions in the ‘Keep the fire burning’ box, right.

“Try not to fret if you miss a session or two,” McNamee continues. “In fact, missing a session is sometimes a good thing, as the vast majority of us are always on the verge of doing too much. With an injury, it’s always tough but it’s about focusing on what you can do rather than what you cannot. I’ve seen people have major breakthroughs when they haven’t been able to run for a month by spending extra time and effort in the pool or on the bike.”

So we’re there – you now have a bulletproof system to smash your goals in 2022. Maybe not. “If you can’t forge positive habits to many situations, things can unravel quickly,” says acclaimed sports psychologist (and Lesley Paterson’s husband) Simon Marshall. “We’ve all quit stuff. Sometimes these are legit quits like quitting halfway through a training run because of a searing pain. Unfortunately, legit quits are rare, making up about