Fresh Start September

Autumn is my favourite time of year for many reasons. The cooler air is perfect for running after many weeks of challenging heat. Beautiful long weekend walks across the downs as the trees change to golden brown. But most of all it’s the sense of a fresh start for a new season.

For those who have been racing triathlon through the summer, the season is drawing to a close, for those who sought out summer holiday bodies the tan will be starting to fade. This makes September a naturally reflective time and an ideal time to think about how your year has shaped up so far. Did you complete your first running event as planned? Did you achieve your goal weight for a big event as you had set out to do?

Look back at the last 9 months and think about all the positives you have achieved and then think about why maybe some of your goals went unfulfilled.  September is a great time to reset, evaluate and set yourself some new goals for the new season. With just a few months to go until Christmas (yes I said it) now is the right time to plan ahead and set some meaningful and motivational goals.

The change of season brings with it a new set of challenges that need to be tackled head on. Firstly if you achieved a new goal weight this summer then a transition into cold weather eating can bring a lot of comfort food. Salads are easy in the warm weather but having a strong goal and motivator needs to be in place to tackle the change of season so you don’t undo all your hard work.

Colder weather makes motivation for training much harder even for the most driven individuals. To maintain your progress rather than sliding back you need to have a goal that drives you forward right through the winter months. This might be a little black dress for the Christmas party, it might be conditioning and strength training for a spring half or full marathon.

I like to think of September as a mini January. The big difference is you have summer motivation and some lasting warm weather to get you kick started. If you leave setting any new goals until the real January then a lot of weight can be gained, and a lot of sporting performance can be lost.

So what’s your Fresh Start September Goal going to be in 2016? Let us know on the Facebook page or in the comments. I have shared mine below.

Andy Strong

Fundamentally FIT Ltd

Trainer Insight

I have been enjoying a year of running in 2016 away from my usual triathlon racing. I have taken part in many Park Run events, a half marathon in Vienna and a handful of 10K’s. This autumn I will be racing a 10 and a 16-mile event in October in the build up to New York Marathon in November. My goal is to run 3.30 and I am training hard to put myself in the best possible shape to achieve this.

I have never been to New York and mixing my first visit in with the marathon couldn’t be more exciting for me. After this, I will plan out my 2017 triathlon season where I intend to return for a year of competitive racing.

My December will be focused on basic skills and develop my weaker areas before starting my strength and condition and base training in January. My days of competitive racing were a few years ago, before launching Fundamentally FIT. I am now ready to balance the two and know that I need a full offseason of quality training to be in a strong position come May and the first race.

I am always planning 3-6 months in advance as this keeps me focused on the bigger picture week to week. For me performance is the most important factor and just like weight loss I know this cannot be achieved overnight.

Evaluating your success and struggles is the key to lasting progress not matter what you level, no matter what your goal.

Let us know your  Fesh Start September Goal either in the comments below or on the Facebook page