Motivation

Let’s talk about motivation. It’s sort of impossible to go through life happily without it, right? It comes in all different shapes and sizes and is essential to carry out an array of activities from getting out of bed in the morning to studying for a big test.  

When it comes to running or exercise it is virtually impossible to get started without some pretty strong motivation. When my friend Kait (who in a way motivated me to write this post) asked me this week about tips for running a 5K it really made me stop to think about motivation to run and what really stimulates us to keep moving forward.

I think I often give off the impression that running is really easy for me or that it is something that I am always up for. Do NOT be fooled. More often than not I spend a run glancing at my watch counting down the tenths of a mile until I get to stop. Sometimes I feel so tired I actually run with my eyes close for a few seconds just so they stop stinging and I have been known to walk up a big hill or resort to a strained shuffle if a run gets tough. Overall I love running and how it makes me feel and the sense of accomplishment it gives me, but usually my favorite part of my run is once it’s over. 

Photo after a particularly hard and sweaty run on my parents treadmill in June.

I know I wax poetic about running most of the time, but it is hard work and sometimes we need a serious push to get out the door. Here are some possible motivation techniques to get your daily sweat on:

• Run or walk with a friend or have someone to talk about your workout with: My sister and I swap stories about our work outs almost every day. More than once I have kept going on a run because I wanted to have a good report for her when we talked.
• Have realistic expectations: If you expect to run 5 miles the first time you step on a treadmill then you’re going to be disappointed and give up. Instead start slowly and give yourself small milestones to work towards.
• Track your progress: As you start to reach those milestones, track how you are doing! If you’re working out longer or running farther than you were the month before it is a great motivator to be aware of that.
• Come up with a mantra: My favorites are "Pain is temporary, Quitting is forever" and "You only regret the workouts you don’t do."
• Use a Post-It: If you want to go one step beyond just the mantra put post-its up with encouraging saying and post them where you'll see them. 
• Give a time limit: If the idea of doing a 30 minute workout sounds daunting, just go for 10 minutes and reassess how you feel. If after 10 minutes you need to slow down or stop, you still exercised 10 minutes more than if you stayed at home!
• New running shoes/clothes/gear: If you buy new, nice stuff you’ll want to use it.
• Work towards a reward: My favorite reward is something food (or Diet Coke) related, but other non-food rewards include a new pair of pants, going to a movie, taking a nap or getting a haircut.
• Make a new playlist: If you know you have some new, fast tunes on your iPod just waiting to be listened to, it will make you want to go to the gym that much more!
• Think about the health benefits: I know it sounds crazy, but I swear running gives you more energy. On days that I don’t run in the mornings I am more lethargic at work throughout the day. Oh and that whole "being good for your heart thing" :-).
• Sign up for a race: Lately my main motivation has been the upcoming marathon. Not to mention this is my last week training at full mileage before I start to taper my miles, which has made me even more inspired to get my runs in. I keep reminding myself how much I’ll be craving these runs over the three weeks before the marathon as I see my mileage drop lower and lower.

So how did I motivate myself for today’s run? After sleeping like a rock last night, having my alarm go off at 5:30am was not pleasant, but I used one of my favorite mantras “you only regret the workouts you don’t do” and dizzily prepared for the gym. Today I was back to intervals (I cycle through intervals, hills and tempo runs once a week), but today I did more and at a faster pace. Tomorrow is a 10 mile run at race pace… I’m hoping it’ll be a breeze (considering I’ll need to do 16 more at that pace for the marathon), but I’m nearing the end of training so I’m pretty worn down. But knowing that after tomorrow is my rest day will be a pretty big motivator!

What is going to motivate YOU to work out tomorrow?

photo credit