“How do you do it?” “How do you make yourself go out every single morning and run at least 5 miles. Regardless of the weather. The heat in the summer?” “How do you stay motivated day after day?”
These are questions I hear often. From friends and neighbors that know I will do almost anything to get my run in. Even if it means rising long before dawn (I do have to confess that the early morning darkness creeps me out so I do try to wait for the first light).
This is actually a harder question to answer than I first thought. Because… I am actually never not motivated to run. Yes, you read that right! Even on “off” days, there is nothing that will keep me from heading out the door, even if it feels like a chore.
And it is certainly not a crime to think that running feels like a chore occasionally. Every runner – yes, even an elite one – has days where he or she has to drag themselves out the door for a training run. I call them “gray days”. On gray days I tell myself that I will only go for a couple of miles and see how I feel. Well, guess what? Once I get outside and warmed up I almost always run longer than I had planned. Once you have gone through all the trouble of putting on your gear and tying up your running shoes, once you have taken that initial first step, stopping is no longer an option. Ironically I have to push through most of my “gray” days during the summer months, when it is anything but gray outside and I almost exclusively have to train or run in 100+ degree weather with the sun beating down. In contrast to those of you who live in colder climates I actually use the tread mill during the months of May, June, July, August, and September, especially in August when Pier-to-Peak is looming. Often, just the thought of another five miles running like a gerbil is daunting, but then once I get to 2.5 miles, all doubt is gone, wiped away by the thrilling realization that I can get the last half over with as well. (Once, while traveling for work while training for a marathon I had my last long run scheduled and since the hotel was located in a very industrial area with no sidewalks anywhere to be found I did the long run on the hotel tread mill. I can tell you that I will never ever try to run three hours on a tread mill ever again! And that’s no lie!)
A lot of runners I know go with the “I will only do a short run today” approach when they don’t feel motivated to run, and almost all of them end up running longer than planned.
On the other hand, there will be days when you will have every intention to run long, to run fast, or to run long and fast. You are motivated and inspired only to experience the disappointment of a less than stellar performance. You end up feeling tired, your legs feel like lead, you have a nagging side stitch. Keep going! By all means take it easy on those days, cut back on speed and mileage but keep going, then take the following day off for a rest. It is always better to rest than to push yourself. Overtraining can lead to exhaustion, chronic fatigue and injuries. And in the end you always have to think about the motivation of the race you are training for.
When I trained for my fist marathon I joined Team in Training. I had a stepdaughter, Adrienne, who fought Hodgkin’s Lymphoma from the age of 9. Watching her deal with this disease for 13 years (!!!), was inspiration for me to never give up. I realized that no matter how tired I was, how difficult the training had become, or how inconvenient the time effort seemed, it could never compare to what Adrienne and so many others like her had and still have to go through on a daily basis. Talk about “inconvenience”! No amount of training can compare to chemotherapy, no amount of exhaustion could compare to the fatigue she experienced from radiation. And my time commitment paled in comparison to Adrienne’s treatment schedule, which she kept while graduating elementary school, then middle, and high school and eventually college. And no one ever asked her about her motivation!
So, if the race alone is not enough motivation for you to get out and train, you might want to think about joining a charity and run for a cause. There are various ones to choose from you just need to find a chapter in your area. If you are joining Team in Training you will be training and completing the race in honor of a patient battling a blood related cancer and raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. These so called “Honorees” could be children or adults, and believe me that they will be a huge motivation to keep on going. In addition you will have access to coaching and like minded people, many of whom have never run before (either). TNT has trained nearly half a million people for endurance events, marathons, centuries, triathlons, who have raised over one billion dollars.
Besides charities you can always join a local running club. There are many out there in almost every city and town, who are always looking for new recruits. You can find them by searching online or asking around in local sports stores. By joining you will always have the guarantee of meeting like minded, dedicated runners that can help you during the training.
Of course you don’t have to join a charity or running club to get yourself motivated. Maybe it is your New Year’s Resolution to finally get fit, maybe you have always wanted to finish a marathon, maybe it is your friend, the avid runner, who got you excited, or maybe you simply want to prove to yourself that it is possible to push yourself. Whatever it is, whatever gets you up earlier than usual instead of hitting the snooze button for the tenth time, whatever gets you into your running shoes after work instead of onto the couch, try to make it into a personal mantra.
And then paste your mantra to your mirror if you have to so you can remind yourself every day why you are doing this. It might seem like an odd thing to do but picking a short phrase that you can play over and over in your head while running can help you stay focused and centered. It can be your inner motivation when you need it most. Finding such mantra is not as difficult as you may think. It can pop into your head at any time, as you are listening to your iPod, chatting with one of your running buddies, or flipping through a (running) magazine. Pick one that fits your running style and personality: “Easy does it!”, “Harder, faster, stronger!”, or “Never give up!”
Your personal mantra will also accompany you as you go about your daily routine and will remind you to stay on track with your training. Steve Prefontaine once said “You have to wonder at times what you are doing out there. Over the years, I have given myself a thousand reasons to keep running, but it always comes back to where it started. It comes down to self-satisfaction and a sense of achievement.”
Another great motivator is a reward. After reaching a new milestone – you ran 20 miles, you finally got under 7 minutes while doing mile repeats – treat yourself to that cool new running shirt you saw in the store or get a massage. If you allow yourself small rewards you feel energized which in turn will reinforce your commitment to training.
And never forget to have fun! Because that’s really what it’s all about. Don’t make running another stress factor in your life. Instead of “no pain, no gain” think “no fun, no run”!
Part of the fun of training can be the food you will need to eat to keep you energized and properly fueled.
And of course there is no greater reward than the endorphin high that stays with you all day after a good run and the sense of accomplishment! It can be addicting…
Today’s Running Tip: Need more motivation? Read on!
A Second Life!!! Come on, people! Being able to run your uninjured body down the road should be motivation enough!!!
New York’s Finest - still daunted by the 5 miler you had planned?
Small Miracle - do you really have reason to whine about how early you have to get up?
