Summer is here! It's the season that brings the opportunity of good weather and long days — which will be perfect for maximising your training. Look at it as a great opportunity to take advantage of the improved elements and really get stuck into your training. This is provided you can resist the pull of the evening braais and beer gardens which often get the better of people at this time of year!

If you've worked hard through the wind, rain and cold during the winter, now is the time to really enjoy your training. But remember, a lapse in training can set you back as well as dampen your enthusiasm — so here are my top tips to keep you motivated this summer.

Start early

Set your alarm clock to wake you up 30 minutes earlier than normal, so that you can get some training in before work.

Early morning exercise is a great way to start your day off on the right footing — plus it's far more appealing getting up to see the early sunshine during the summer, rather than seeing the weather on a dreary winter morning.

If you get your run completed in the morning, this provides the added bonus of freeing up your evenings so that you can do some other fun things during your summer.

Top up your tan

We keep getting told that there's no such thing as a 'healthy' tan, yet huge numbers of people aspire to get beautiful bronzed bodies!

If you're someone that fits into this category and feel the need to acquire the bronzed look, rather than just lie there in the garden, why not get out running?

For a start, it will give you better all-round tan. You've probably seen the tan lines on runners when they compete in their rather skimpy competition gear — so that should give you a good indication of how much sun runners catch while out training. Don't forget your sun cream!

Get fit for the beach

If you've slogged through the winter months in the hope of getting yourself in the shape where you're a little less afraid to peel off those layers on the beach, then don't let up now.

You might not have the body you aspire to — and you certainly won't want to have that beached whale look when you hit the beach — so keep all that in mind when you're weighing up whether or not to forsake that run for an extra hour in the beer garden.

Train with a friend

As soon as the sun emerges from behind the clouds, it seems to bring an invasion of runners out too! Even if you usually run alone, it's quite possible that you'll be able to entice a friend out to run if the weather's pretty decent.

You know you've got little chance in winter, of course, but summer's a different matter altogether. Companionship while you run can be a great motivator, and a bit of rivalry might even push you both on to better things.

Add variety

Trying different places to train to keep things fresh isn't ideal in winter, as you'll probably be more concerned about getting in out of the soaking rain and icy cold conditions. But in summer you could consider going on a variety of running routes such as going off-road. It can be extremely beneficial to get some grass running in, as it's gentler on the knees than road running — plus if you accidentally trip, you’ll be less likely to get injured.

Beat the boredom

We all have a favoured route that we run almost on automatic without really thinking where we’re going. You've probably got little idea how many times you’ve run it or exactly what things you pass along the way.

Just by doing that favoured run in reverse — not running backwards, but in the opposite direction — can make it seem completely different and far more interesting. You may even start to spot things along the route that you hadn’t even noticed before while clocking up the miles.

Reward yourself

Don't be a slave to your running regime. After a run, why not treat yourself with a drink at the pub or meet up with friends for dinner — you deserve it after all.

If you've been training hard, why not dedicate an evening for socialising? Don't let training rule your life — make it part of your life. Remember, rest and recuperation are key parts to your training too — and if you keep ignoring your circle of friends in preference to your training, you may miss out on important parts of their lives.

Mix it up

Finally, to mix in the benefits of toning and shaping the muscles in summer, don't forget to include strength training into your running routine, on alternate days. By including resistance training exercises as part of your exercise programme you will be firming up the areas on the body that need toning and you will increase the amount of calories you burn throughout the day — even when at rest.

The 'energy cost' of a body with toned muscles is higher than a body carrying excess body-fat — so if you tone up your muscles, your engine is running faster 24 hours a day — leading to further body-fat reduction.

So get running today and shape your body up for summer!