That’s “Take it and Run Thursday”, a weekly feature in the Runners’ Lounge where someone asks a question and us bloggers answer with our sage (ok maybe not so sage) advice. As a relatively new “Lounger” this is my first stab at the weekly question. Here goes:
What do you do to get yourself motivated to run when it feels like the last thing you want to do?
First let me say, in all honesty, running is rarely the last thing I want to do. But three things motivate me the most:
1. I visualize the realization of big running goal. For the first 2 years of me running “longer” distances, I visualized me crossing the finish line at a marathon with a Boston Qualifier time. I ran that scenario thru my head no lie I think during every freaking long run I did those years. And since I’m hoping for another BQ this October in Columbus, that scenario is playing in my head once again.
2. I’m pretty much adverse to suffering. I’ll do whatever I have to to minimize the possibility of undue pain. So when I’m laying in bed at 4:30 on a cold morning, a little voice tells me to get out there or risk unnecessary suffering on race day. I know the better trained I am when I approach the starting line on race day, the more pleasurable (and less painful) the race will be.
3. I think about how ticked at myself I’ll be later if I blow off a run. Sometimes a little self-wrath is a great motivator!
How about you? What motivates you?
