Hey! How’s everyone doing today?  It’s been a rainy, dreary week here so far.  I actually don’t mind it as I’ve been enjoying the quietude of the yoga studio and can’t seem to put down the book I’m reading.  I haven’t felt this relaxed and calm in ages, it’s rather nice.

I’ve been thinking a lot about ways to stay motivated and active now since I’m not training for a marathon or trying to accomplish a crazy goal of mine right now.  It’s been about a year since I’ve haven’t had a goal or race schedule.  Last spring I was training for Boston’s Run to Remember Half Marathon and the New Balance Reach the Beach Relay.  A few weeks after those Michael and I started training for the Chicago Marathon.  I took about a week off after Chicago and then got back to regular running before starting to train for Boston at the end of December.  There was always some race on my mind and I time I was hoping to get.  Now, with this little break until August when yoga teacher training starts there aren’t any races on my calendar and I’m looking for fun ways to stay motivated and active.  So here’s some of my ideas to keep active and I hope you’ll add some of yours in the comments!

Try a new yoga style or studio.

This is a good one for me, when I’m training for a running race I like to stick to my favorite yoga classes at studios I’ve been to.  This way I know exactly what I’m in for and know that it won’t impact my running or training plan.  I do live in Boston though and there are tons of yoga studios with teacher’s whose classes I’d love to try.  Now is a great time to try them out! I won’t have to worry about being extra sore or needing an extra rest day because it won’t impact my running.  On my list, Baptiste Power Yoga and an aerial yoga class!  Come June and July Boston also offers lots of free outdoor yoga classes, I’ll definitely be trying some of those this year!

Explore a new trail. 

Boston is filled with amazing places to run or walk.  There are lots of trails around local lakes and routes through beautiful seaside towns.  When I’m training for a race I tend to stick to my usual routes that I know like the back of my hand.  This way I can focus on my speed, form and getting in a quality run.  Now that I’m just running for fun I’d like to check out these places I’ve heard so much about! A nice easy 3 mile run near the ocean on an Saturday morning sounds pretty awesome to me!

Try something new!

I tend to be someone who sticks with what I like, which happens to be running and yoga.  I’d like to try a couple new classes this spring.  I used to take a Bosu class at my gym and would love to get back into that.  I also used to take step classes and Body Pump so I want to give them a go again.  I’m also thinking about trying an interval class for a change in pace!

Remind yourself that being active doesn’t always mean working out.

I really want to spend some time golfing this spring and summer.  Michael really enjoys golfing and last summer I put to the test those years of summer golf lessons.  I really enjoyed it and thought that it was a great workout! By the 9th hole my shoulders were burning!  We walked all nine holes too which is over 2 miles of walking.  It’s a workout without even knowing it!  Golfing, hiking and other activities are just as good of a workout as hitting the gym!

Sign up for FUN races. 

Notice the emphasis on FUN.  Find some local 5K’s or run/walks and get your friends to come out and join you.  Plan a fun brunch after and just go have some fun at the race.  Don’t worry about the time or your pace, enjoy the people your with and being active.  Having something on your calendar will also keep you motivated to run at least a few days a week!

Plan for active dates. 

By nature of my personality I tend to surround myself with active, busy people.  This spring and summer I’d love to meet friends for a walk, easy run, yoga or other class and then grab dinner or coffee after.  When I’m training for a race I don’t plan many of these dates because I usually have a run or workout scheduled according to my training plan.  Without a training plan and the ability to be flexible now is a great time to take advantage of these! And it’s a fun, healthy way to catch up with friends!

Go with Flow. 

Taking a break from training plans and racing is wonderful and our bodies and minds need the break from time to time.  If you truly are dreading a workout or would just rather lay in the sun with a good book I say go for it! How many times do you force yourself to get out and run when your training for a race? There are undoubtedly times when relaxing sounds much more fun.  Now’s the time to enjoy it or make a compromise and get in a 30 minute walk and then curl up with that book!

There are a million different ways to stay active and healthy and it doesn’t always mean you have to follow a training plan and run a race.  I’ve been enjoying the freedom to do whatever I like.  Now that I’ve started to think about all the fun, active things I wanted to do but felt like I couldn’t because of my training plan I have a ton of great ideas!  And with the warm weather the options are even more plentiful!

So tell me, what are your favorite ways to stay active when you’re not on a training plan?  What keeps you motivated to keep moving when there is no race in sight?  Whats your favorite summertime activity?