Lately training has been a grind. I don’t love the treadmill and cold grey cloud blanketing almost every Michigan winter day doesn’t make running outside a very appealing alternative.

Last week when my motivation was rock bottom, I put out a poll and a whopping 95% of you reported feeling the same way. So what do you do when you have NO motivation to train?

Here’s some good news: motivation is not necessary for success or progress. Motivation helps us want to run instead of dreading it, but our level of desire to run is not the determining factor. The key to progress, gains and success is something entirely different: it is discipline.

Yes I said it: discipline. This is the most important factor for reaching your goals. Sometimes you’ll feel incredibly unmotivated and that is okay! You don’t need motivation, you just need to do the training.

I always ask my clients what their goals are and specifically what gets them excited to train. I say that training should be an enjoyable process overall and do my best to create training plans that are interesting and fun.

But no matter what, there are going to be days you just don’t feel like it, and that’s when you need discipline. While it’s important to enjoy the overall process, consistency in the process is what gets results.

Lack of Motivation vs Fatigue
Low motivation (or total lack thereof) to run for period of time may indicate burnout and require extended rest. Runners can become overtrained, and there are seasons of life that exhaust us. If you used to love running but start to hate it, you probably don’t need to be more disciplined. You probably need to take a step back, evaluate your season of life, how you feel, and consider making a change.

But for the rest of us who are just feeling lazy, what do you do?

Commitment + Flexibility = Success
Consistency is the key to making gains in your running, and that’s why I only do custom training plans. A training plan designed specifically for an individual - based on their schedule, goals, and preferences - is the training plan they are most likely to actually follow.

Probability of success skyrockets when you actually do the training! But here’s the thing: the training doesn’t have to be perfect. The schedule can be changed and adjusted again and again. What matters is whether or not the work is getting done.

As a Michigan resident I’m always more motivated to run on a rare sunny day, so when the sky is blue I will run more miles or do a harder workout. I take advantage of my sense of motivation knowing there will inevitably be another cloudy dreary day coming up and on that day I’ll have less training to do, or take a rest day.

The Hardest Part
The hardest part is when you must rely solely on discipline - when you have absolutely no motivation. On these days, the actual training is never quite as bad as thinking about the training.

Since consistency is top priority, remember that something is better than nothing. Sometimes it’s okay to compromise on the goal of the day and focus solely on getting out the door. For example, if I can’t seem to wrap my head around doing a scheduled 8mile run, I tell myself it’s okay to just do 4 miles. Or even just 1 mile, because a run is better than no run. I just have to put on my runners and leave the house.

Once I’ve started running I often end up going the full distance and enjoying it.

Not always though… Sometimes I just do the 1 mile, and that 1 mile is better than no miles! That 1 mile contributes to long term consistency.

Making it Happen
For most of us, motivation is harder to find for certain aspects of training. Maybe your motivation to run is never a problem but your motivation to do the other parts of training like rest, self-therapy and strength training is non-existent.

Whenever you struggle with motivation, discipline is what gets the training done. Discipline is self-control. It is habit. Even more, it’s a commitment to figure out how to navigate those unmotivated moments. For me, it’s the mind-game and compromise that unfailingly gets me out the door when I don’t want to run. And it’s the commitment to training but allowing myself flexibility as to how and when I get the work done.

Motivation is the driving force that helps us set big goals, and motivation makes any endeavour easier to tackle. But on the journey toward your goals there will be days that motivation has completely disappeared. That’s okay. You don’t need motivation. You just need to do the training.

Looking for more training guidance?

Nicole Sifuentes is a former professional runner and 2-time Olympian, a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and full-time Running Coach for adults of all ages and abilities. Read more about her services, and schedule your free consultation today!

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Motivation and Discipline

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