Whether it is our first one of the day or the second on a two-a-day schedule, we can all agree that getting that evening training session in after a long day of work or travel can be mentally challenging.  Below are three simple tips to break the urge to skip an evening session and get break through performances.

1)      Be prepared.  If you are going to hit the gym after work, make sure to have your gear packed and in the car before you leave in the morning.  This way you do not give yourself any reasons for delaying getting to the gym and getting it done!  If you are working out from home then lay out your clothes ahead of time, that you will train in that night before you leave for work.  The best way is to pack your gear the night before, whether you have a morning workout, evening, or two-a-day.  That way if you are in a time crunch in the morning because you hit the snooze button too many times, you’re already packed and ready to go. When we get to race day we want to make sure we are prepared for the day, why should our training sessions be any different?

2)      Don’t stop.  Adding pesky errands to the schedule after your work day will only increase the potential of you missing an evening workout.  Go straight to where ever you are planning on doing your training session (e.g. gym, pool, or from home).  You wouldn’t pick up your dry cleaning on your way to your race, would you?

3)      Don’t sit down.  If you’re doing an evening training session from home, don’t sit down for “just a minute” when you get home.  If you can, when you get in the door change directly into your workout clothes (that you already set out) and don’t sit down.  This way you eliminate the urge to take a break for a minute, and if you’re already in your workout clothes you are less likely to pass on that session.  No need to sit down and rest in transition, why do it during a training session?

The grind of a training season can put a damper on your daily life, but keeping focused and prepared will help you reach your goals and attain breakthrough performances on race day.  We have all heard the old adage “train how you want to race”, and how you train will make the difference!