Just incase you missed it – the Houston Marathon & Half Marathon took place last Sunday! Lucky for us, all 15,000 runners ran right past The Train Station!! Liz, Kinsey & I passed out oranges, bananas, and wristbands to runners and two of our wonderful trainers, Dolores & Sandy, completed the half marathon. I’m so glad I was there to cheer them on! Great job, ladies!!

As I watched the thousands run by, I just couldn’t help but feel inspired! In fact, I think I even spoke of running the half marathon myself next year. I can’t make any promises, but that’s how inspired I was! And you know what I realized… It’s only January! It’s not too late to set a few goals for the year ahead!

Regardless of whether or not I sign up for the half marathon next year, I’d really like to get back on track with my outdoor jogging. The awesome weather we’ve had over the past couple of weeks has really helped! On the other hand, I find myself snuggled up indoors on the days that seem to be wayyy below average. Brrr! We’ve had too many of those this winter!

Anyway, it really got me thinking… I’m probably not the only one with a cardio/running goal. So, I thought I’d share a few tips to get you moving!

*Set a schedule
Decide which days work best for you. Make an appointment with yourself (literally!) to get your cardio in. Is it before work, after work, or midday? Put it in your phone calendar or add it to your to-do-list. Make it a priority to set aside time for yourself. You deserve it!

*Start slow
Don’t over-do it in the first couple of weeks. If you’re not doing much cardio at all right now, just start off with two or three days a week. Then slowly add a day at a time when you can. And don’t forget, your body needs rest. Keep at least one day a week for rest. No strength training, no yoga, no running. Just rest.

* Track your progress
There are tons of apps out there to track your cardio on your smartphone. They track your distance, pace, and overall time. They’ll even provide you with a guide on how far to walk/run in order to achieve a specific goal. Personally, my Garmin watch is my motivator and tool of choice. I love that thing! If you’re not into gadgets, you can make a simple excel spreadsheet to track the date, distance, and length of your cardio. I find it extremely motivating to look back and see how far I’ve come!

*Find a buddy
I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again – a workout buddy could be just the thing you’re missing. Do you have a spouse, friend, or neighbor who wants to exercise with you? You may not know until you ask.

The next time you’re contemplating spending the afternoon on the couch, think of the thousands who ran the marathon and half marathon this past weekend. That could be you next January! Or, there could be a more cardiovascularly fit version of yourself cheering them on from the sidelines. Maybe I’ll see you there!

Angela