In our last blog post of 2015 we’ll dive into running resolutions for the New Year. January 1 inspires us. It always has. It is ALWAYS a good idea to set goals. After all, people who make New Year’s resolutions are 10 times more likely to achieve their goals than those who don’t, says John C. Norcross, Ph.D., a University of Scranton professor of psychology who has studied the follow-through of Resolutionaries. As the saying goes, you can’t hit a target if you don’t have one. Here are a few of ours,inspired by running articles and personal need:

1. Add general strength training to your weekly workouts. To improve as a runner all you need to do is run more, right? We have all heard this…we use the same muscles in the same motion over and over…and the result over time can be imbalances that don’t allow for improvements or lead to injuries. All runners can benefit from general strength training…Starting with a trainer who can evaluate your strengths and weaknesses and then teach the correct way to strength train will guarantee a better outcome. “Remember to actually strength and cross train instead of just reading a million articles about how important it is and never doing it.”
2. Add yoga – With yoga, frequency is more important than duration, says Sage Rountree, author of the The Runner’s Guide to Yoga, adding that shorter sessions also reduce the likelihood of overdoing the effort. 
3. If you’re a seasoned runner, the best way to improve is to keep pounding the pavement. Running more is the simplest and most effective way to become a better runner, says Jason Karp, Ph.D., exercise physiologist and author of Running a Marathon For Dummies. But saying, ‘I’ll run more’ isn’t effective as a resolution. Karp suggests aiming for 10 to 20 percent more miles than you covered last year…
4. Foam Roll – If you haven’t already, start giving your running body the TLC it needs. Not only will you suffer from fewer injuries, but you’ll also run faster. A study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that runners who frequently use a foam roller exhibited  increased range of motion, which leads to greater running efficiency and faster finish times. 
5. Be careful not to blame age for all your running woes. Our culture has a pretty pessimistic view of aging and that negative outlook affects everyone. I’ve heard thirty year-olds complain about ‘getting old.’ The good news is that more and more studies are showing that those who exercise regularly and intensely will have a much different experience with aging than those who are sedentary. And performance declines for runners can be delayed or reduced with the right approach to training, nutrition and rest.
6. Set a 5k PR – Register for a race that plays to your strengths. Flat, straight courses appeal to most runners. Make sure favorable weather conditions are likely, given your chosen location and date. 
7. Stay Motivated – Identify your bugaboo: Cold weather? Dark mornings? Not having a race on the horizon? Figuring out what triggers your off times puts you in a better position to engineer the fix, says Rachel Dehner, a Denver coach with Revolution Running. Pick a goal that will get you out the door. You don’t have to train for a race, although that’s one popular objective. You might run so you can treat yourself to new running gear, or lead the pack during your weekly group run. Climb back on the wagon, but make moderation your mantra. “Most runners are so worried about the fitness they’ve lost that they overdo it when they start running again,” says Dehner. 
8. Recover asap post run, post race, on your easy days, on your days off. Make a conscious effort to get better at this. Get in your fuel, your protein, your liquids. Get more sleep. Reduce your stress. Work on your mental health. Slow down on your easy days, and on your days off. In doing at least a few of these, if not all, you will replenish what you have depleted, preparing you for the next day, the next race.
9. Celebrate. It’s so easy to forget how much we’ve done. What we’ve come from. What we’ve accomplished. Really work on being realistic with this. You have grown in innumerable ways, and just because the next goal is in limbo, doesn’t mean you are.
10. Relax – Stop becoming so exasperated when your grandma asks you how long your marathon is.

Articles:
Eckerson: Some Running Resolutions for the New Year
Running Tips
The 20 Most Realistic Running Resolutions Ever
10 running Goals You Should Make
Running Targets for the Year Ahead