Good evening! I hope you all are enjoying your week so far. Our week has been better than normal for two reasons:

• daily workouts together
• homemade dinner together

Sunday, after I returned from the National Half Marathon weekend, Bo and I spent two hours walking through Central Park and the Upper West Side.

The weather was gorgeous so we enjoyed our time outside but when we found ourselves in front of D’Agostino, we cut our walk short for some much needed grocery shopping. During our walk, we discussed the importance of cooking at home together, and were therefore excited for a shopping trip. We were inspired to make a menu of meals for the week which were healthy, easy to prepare, and flavorful. Here is our menu at a glance:

• Sunday: Homemade Greek Salads (romaine, tomatoes, herbs, hummus, grilled chicken, red onions, olives, low fat feta, and whole wheat pita bread)
• Monday: Homemade Greek Salads (romaine, tomatoes, herbs, hummus, grilled chicken, red onions, olives, low fat feta, and whole wheat pita bread)
• Tuesday: Homemade chicken burgers with healthier coleslaw and Popchips

• Wednesday: Whole wheat spaghetti and vegetables
• Thursday: Homemade chicken burgers with healthier coleslaw and Popchips
• Friday: Dinner out with friends

So far we’ve really enjoyed this change of pace and it has allowed us to spend more time together in the kitchen.

On the workout front, we’ve found motivation from each other this week, promising to keep each other company each morning. Bo has historically preferred working out in the evening, but over the past few weeks his work schedule has made that nearly impossible. After multiple missed workouts, he’s finally joined my morning workout routine. Monday morning, it would have been easy to stay in bed and give myself another rest day. But, knowing that Bo was signed up for the same spin class made getting out of bed easier. This morning, Bo only had 30 minutes for a workout. Instead of skipping it altogether, I went to the gym with him, 45 minutes early, and ran on the treadmill near him while he clipped into the bike for a DIY spin class.

In keeping with the motivation topic, I wanted to address a reader’s question I received the other day.

I have never really been a runner, and frankly i am not sure that my body is really built for the sport (6 ft tall, terrible knees), but I love the way i feel after completing a race.  I ran a half marathon (3 hours) in August 2009, and have recently signed up to run a 10 mile race in Chicago in May to try and get back into things. Unfortunately though, I have a hard time getting myself out the door to go for a 7 mile alone, and all my friends are significantly faster than me, so i feel like i am holding them back.  Do you have any tips or tricks? I would love to hear any ideas you have had or stories of how you overcome a lack of motivation!

This is a great question as I faced a similar problem when I lived in Philadelphia. Here are a few motivators that worked for me:

• Make mini goals for yourself and develop an incentive program. For example, if I follow my training plan for 3 weeks, I can enjoy a massage. This will help keep you accountable.
• Make your goals public to friends, family, Facebook, and the blog world. If you let people know you’re signed up for a race you’re more likely to train and follow through with the plan.
• Find other friends, across the country, who share your same pace and then train “virtually” together. My best friend Amy and I trained virtually for many half marathons which meant we had plenty to talk about each week on the phone and email about daily.
• Develop a weekly playlist which has a new theme each week. Knowing that you have exciting music to pump you up during the run can be motivation enough. Some people only listen to certain songs during their runs which makes the songs even more exciting and special.
• Invest in your workout clothing. I’ve found that if I feel pretty working out I’ll be more likely to enjoy the process.
• Last, but not least, set timers around your house. I set a few timers on Saturdays before my long runs. One is the early time, optimal time, and no later than time. Once I hear that final alarm go off, sometimes an hour after I woke up, I know I have to get moving immediately.

Question: What are some of your motivational tips for solo workouts? I’ll share them on the blog tomorrow and give credit/ link back to your blog.