Motivation

Oh hey there! It's been awhile. Last week was an incredibly hot running week here in Chicago, and I felt like I would have been repeating myself if I told you about the 4 hot, sweaty, muggy, sticky runs that comprised the 22 miles I ran last week. It takes some motivation to go for a run in 100 degree weather and they were all completely disgusting, but looking back I am proud of myself for making it through them. Aside from the hot weather, I also had (non-runner) friends visiting from out of town, a mid-week holiday, and various other things I'd rather do than subject myself to these runs. I was also coming off of an incredibly awesome weekend where Tim asked me to marry him, so it's kind of impossible to top that and get back to the real world! But there were several things that kept me going through last week. 

Last week's training runs

Obviously, the most motivating thing is the marathon itself. I won't make it to or through the marathon without a lot of hard work and I can't afford to skip anything, because you can't cram for a marathon. In fact, when I was just running casually before, I would regularly skip planned runs because it was hot, I was tired, I stayed late at work, etc. It seems the walk home from the train to my house is often the time I convince myself to be lazy or motivated. But now I feel 100% committed to the marathon and the training program, so skipping any run is not an option in my mind. 

Another motivating factor is that running in the heat will better prepare me for...running in the heat. Who knows what the weather will be like during any of my runs and during the race, so I better figure out how my body needs to acclimate now. Also, I'm hoping that running in the summer will make me feel like a rockstar when the temperatures get cooler. I am running at much slower paces than I am used to, but I know that covering the miles is the most important thing, rather than pace. I'm probably always going to wish I was faster, but just completing runs in the heat is an accomplishment in my opinion. But even Monday's run in cooler temperatures felt amazing and partially even FUN because it wasn't sweltering. 

I also have a lot of quiet time on my runs--2 hours on the Lakefront gives you a long time to think. Most of the time I'm content to look out at the scenery, people watch, listen to my own feet and breath, but at some points I need a little something extra. Then I find my brain going rapid fire through a litany of things to motivate and inspire me. My friend Adam showed me his motivating phrase that he keeps as the background on his phone when he runs. I thought of his phrase this weekend, along with a whole list of other motivating things: Tim, my sister, working on not being a chubby bride, the people who have donated so far to my fundraising, the upcoming water fountain, only 4 miles left (when did 4 miles become an "only" distance??), hanging out with my friends later that day at the house we rented, the cold Vitamin Water waiting in the fridge, the fact that in two weeks my Mom would be walking 60 miles so 10 couldn't be THAT hard, a nice breeze, the Gatorade at Diversey (near the end of my run...it was delicious), and hoping for some sprinklers on the last mile from the Lakefront (bless those people who water their lawns). I got through it, thanks in no small part to the many things my brain kept reminding me of to keep me going. 

Each time I finish and make it home, after a bit of hydrating and stretching, I'm amazed that once again, it's not so bad. I can do it. 

What motivates you?