This Year I Will: Be More Consistent
Ask elite runners for the number one "secret" of their success and the most common response is one word: consistency. "Consistent training promotes the physiological changes which are necessary for better performance, while inconsistent training stresses the body and can lead to injury," says Robert Martin, a San Diego running coach and personal trainer.
Make It Happen: "Start with a reasonable goal, develop a plan, then record your workouts and progress," says Martin. "If that's not enough motivation to not skip workouts, find a coach or a training buddy who can help you keep your feet to the fire, and announce your goals to friends, family and coworkers."
Social media is a good place to declare your running plans, too, whether it's Facebook, Twitter, dailymile.com or runnersworld.com (Forums or The Loop). If all else fails, for every mile you run reward yourself with $1 toward a trip or something else you desire. Just don't confuse consistency with rigidity. It's okay to skip a run for a legit reason; it's not okay to repeatedly skip them if your reasons are as thin as an Ethiopian marathoner.
Degree of Difficulty: 6
More: 27 Ways to Run Better Every Day
This Year I Will: Try a Triathlon
So you've always figured that training for three sports at once is in the same category as learning to speak Cantonese. But you've figured wrong. You can spend as little as a few more hours of weekly training than you now spend running, for only a month or two, and finish a triathlon.
Provided you keep it short—both the training sessions and the triathlon. Short-distance "sprint" triathlons—which have exploded in popularity, now accounting for nearly half of all USA Triathlon-sanctioned events—include a swim of just one-quarter to one-half mile, a bike ride of 10 to 20 miles and a 5K.
It doesn't take much time in the saddle and pool to be ready for those distances. And the run will be a cinch—because it comes last in the event, your running base will make it easy for you to sweep past novice striders.
More: How to Train for a Triathlon
Make It Happen: Add three 30-to 60-minute lap swims and two 30-to 60-minute bike rides each week—while sticking to three 30-to 60-minute runs—for at least four weeks this spring or summer, says Hank Campbell, a runner-turned-pro triathlete turned coach (Or, follow this guide to Get Triathlon-Ready in Six Weeks).
"The most common concern among runners new to triathlon is the swim," he says. Take a lesson first to learn an efficient stroke. "Once you can comfortably swim at least 50 percent farther than the race distance in the pool, you can feel confident of completing it on race day."
Scheduling the workouts can include one two-workout day. Also plan to do one weekly "brick" workout in which you do two of those workouts back-to-back—bike-to-run or swim-to-bike—which gets you accustomed to the race-day reality of stringing activities together.