Make the Most of Indoor Training

As winter really picks up steam, and snow covers many parts of the country, it’s indoor training time for a lot of our 3-Dayers. After a few of you reached out on social media, asking for tips and inspiration to keep up with your training, even in colder temperatures. We are here to deliver! If you’re having trouble keeping up with your training goals indoors, we have some simple tricks to keep you on target.

Stay Motivated

We’ve talked to our coaches about their New Year’s Resolutions, but what are yours? We all know goal setting is important to organize your scheduled and keep up with your training plan, but they can also help you stay motivated! Give yourself weekly and monthly training goals, and pre-determine a reward for yourself. If you need a little spa time, book a massage when you hit your goal of miles for the week. If you love shopping, buy yourself something nice when you get to the gym! Whatever it is, do something nice for yourself to help you stay motivated.

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Find What Gets You Going

Do you need to create a pump-up playlist? Let your favorite tunes motivate you. Do you like to get engrossed in a good story? Download a podcast. Have a TV show you want to binge watch? Bring your tablet or iPad to the gym and watch on the treadmill. Need a little time with your friends? Schedule a group work out with all your favorite people. Find what gets you moving and grooving, and use that to motivate your work outs.

Divide and Conquer

Tackle your mileage goal for the day in a few spurts. It will make the steps go quicker and let you conquer the other parts of your day with ease. Plus, if you’re walking long distances on a treadmill, it can get monotonous! So, instead of trying to walk 15 miles in a row, break it up throughout the day. Do an early morning gym visit and walk half of your goal, then head to the gym after work. You’ll get the same number of steps, but in a more manageable fashion.

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Spice It Up

We love our training walks, and getting to spend time with all of you as a 3-Day family. However, if the weather isn’t warm enough in your hometown, you might not be able to swing a long walk outside. How about walking laps around the local mall instead? Or, mix it up and get your cardio some other way! From spin class to group cardio and barre work outs, there are plenty of ways to get your heart pumping inside this season.

How do you get your steps in during the winter? What’s your favorite indoor work out? Tell us in the comments! It might just inspire your fellow walkers…

Goal Setting: Make 2018 Your Best Year Yet

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New year, new goals! It’s the perfect time to take stock, and plan for your best 2018 possible. With less than nine months until our first 3-Day of the year (you read that right!), setting goals now for your training and fundraising will set you up for success. To help you get started, we have tips to help you set goals that are attainable but still inspirational.

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Write them down

Writing goals down helps them stick in your mind, and gives you a visual representation of them to keep throughout the year. Set short term goals that you can check off each week or month. This will keep you motivated, and allow you to take smaller steps towards whatever your year-end goal might be.

Make them specific

As you outline your goals, make sure you’re detailed in your wording.

For example, instead of saying, “I want to train more before the 3-Day,” say “I want to train three times a week, and walk at least 20 miles per week through June.” Give yourself numerical, trackable goals.

This helps you be honest with yourself about what you truly think you can achieve, and track your results more easily.

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Be realistic but enthusiastic

Goal setting can be difficult, because you want to set yourself up for success, but still challenge yourself.

By being enthusiastic about what you want to achieve, while allowing for realism about your time constraints or other commitments, you’re going to amaze yourself with what you can achieve.

Take action

Once you set those goals, don’t forget to do them! Lots of people make resolutions for the New Year, and then forget about them. This is why writing your goals is key. Put them in a spot you will see every day so you’re always reminded of what you want to achieve.

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Believe in Yourself

No matter what your goals, remember that you are awesome just as you are! If you slip up, or face setbacks throughout the year, never give up. You can do anything you set your mind to! We think every 3-Dayer is truly something special.

What are your goals for 2018? Tell us in the comments!

If one of your 2018 goals is to join the 3-Day, the perfect time is NOW! Through February 5th, you can get $20 off your registration fee. Sign up today!

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3-Day Warm Weather Training Tips: Beat the Heat!

Summer is officially here at last, and the heat has been turned up across the country. That means you need to be even more careful on your training walks, especially as you work towards longer and longer training sessions. We want to keep all our 3-Dayers safe and sound through training, the 60 miles of your event, and beyond! With that in mind, here are some tips to use during your summer training walks.

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Dress appropriately

Swap your pants for shorts, switch your sweatshirt for a tee, and wear light-colored clothing. Dark colors like black absorb the heat, which can make you feel even hotter. Also, choose lightweight, sweat-wicking clothing, and shy away from tighter styles. By keeping it loose and light, more air will be able to circulate over your skin, keeping you cool. Look for high-tech fabrics (not cotton) that pull sweat away from your body and help it evaporate more quickly.

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Stretch it out

Get your muscles warm before your body really heats up! Stretching before your walks will help to deter muscle cramps and tiredness, especially during long walks. Don’t forget to stretch after you walk as well! Take off your shoes and stretch in the grass with your team or walking buddy. It gives you a few more minutes to enjoy the weather, and helps you stay loose. When you’re walking on the 3-Day, we encourage you to stretch at every stop light. Don’t worry – our crew and handy signs will remind you!

Bring water

Drinking water during the summer is a careful balance. You want to be sure not to get dehydrated, and drink plenty of water, but you need to supplement your water with salty snacks or sports drinks in order to avoid a problem called hyponatremia, which stems from low blood sodium. So, stay away from sugary sodas, and stick to drinking water and sports drink during and after exercise and other physical activities.

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Snack often

Be sure to fuel your body with a good mix of protein, carbohydrate, salts, and fats. Trail mix is a great portable and heat-safe (as long as it doesn’t have chocolate chips!) option. Or, plan your walk with a mid-way stop for a snack or lunch.

Time your work out to avoid peak heat

This is especially important for longer walks where you will be out in the sun for extended periods of time. Schedule your walks for the early morning or after the sun begins setting to stave off sunburn as well as excess tiredness. Above all, avoid the height of the day (noon to 3 pm) when the sun is hottest.

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Protect your skin

SPF is a no brainer during the summer, but you can also protect yourself with hats and sunglasses, and shirts that have built-in SPF. Also, seek shade at intermittent times throughout your walks to give your skin a break from the sun.

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Work your way up to longer work outs

You have probably already been doing this with group, team or solo training walks. It becomes even more important in the heat though! If you have a long walk scheduled, make sure to schedule it for later in the week, then do shorter walks in the days leading up to it. On the big day, grab a buddy to keep you motivated for your long walk!

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Know your body

Above all, watch out for any weakness, light-headedness or dizziness. You should also keep an eye out for paling of the skin (especially after being out in the sun), headaches and any nausea. If anything feels off, cut your training short or skip your walk that day just to be safe. It’s great to work towards new goals, but you never want to overdo it. Be safe out there!