You don’t have to be extreme. Just consistent.

When I trained for my first marathon I went all in. I would do 4 strength sessions per week, 3 runs and a boxing class. I still had one or two rest days per week so some days I was doubling up with strength sessions followed by a tempo run on the treadmill. Or I’d gym in the morning and then run at lunchtime. I was doing half marathon distances before work (defo started late), I wasn’t drinking alcohol at all and I even gave up all sweet treats for a period. My marathon training plan was my number one priority and I worked most other things around it – I honestly hardly ever skipped any part of it. 

It was a little extreme and definitely unsustainable to think that I could maintain that post marathon. Even when training for other runs in the future.

The rhythm of life changes and what we have capacity for changes also. Last year my entire team was being made redundant and we had five months where work was really really quiet, and it was pretty flexible – I could work from home more often, start a little later when needed and also just fully switch off on my days off. This year I started a new job, which is way more demanding, I have to be in the office more and l have less flexibility with my hours. For the last 6 months I have struggled to get into a solid routine with my fitness, especially one that felt consistent. Can anyone else relate? 

I love consistency, routine, and tick lists and a busy social calendar or a hectic work week can easily throw that off. When I feel like I’m not on track and not doing as much as before it makes me assume I’m failing. 

Until now, where I’ve had a better view on things. I realised that I have actually still been consistent in doing something often, it’s just that it hasn’t felt like “enough” - not because it isn’t, but because I’ve been so focused on trying to squeeze a specific type of plan into a week where it really just doesn’t fit. I focus on not being able to do everything I wanted, instead of focusing on what the something is that I could do. 

Now I’m choosing to approach my fitness plans with an adaptive mindset. Office days can feel long and tiring but I can cycle to work once or twice a week instead of getting the train. Sleeping in a little after a bad night sleep (this heat has messed me up!!) means that getting to the gym and back in time doesn’t always work so an at home workout would be more effective. I’m going to begin training for the Manchester marathon soon so I know making time for runs during the week will be my priority on my work from home days. 

They are all small decisions separately, and it doesn’t look like a plan that’s as intense as what I was doing before – but it’s a plan that I can be consistent with right now. And that is what is important. When we are being consistent in any area of our life we feel more positive and productive about it. Consistency isn’t doing the same thing all the time, it’s doing something with the time we have, in a way that means we can keep showing up week in and week out.

Consistency is not extreme, it is steady. It is not rigid, but fluid. It is not the final outcome, but the foundation that keeps us strong.