This week, I am linking up with  Kookyrunner and Zenaida  for Tuesday Topics and we’re talking about how we stay motivated to run?

I am usually a pretty motivated person in general, so finding motivation to do things (be it exercise or other hobbies) often comes pretty natural to me. However, like anybody else, I have days where motivation is harder to come by. Here are a few things that I try to remember when motivation is low:

The feeling after each run

I try to keep at the forefront of my mind, how I feel after each run and the truth is: I usually feel really good. Getting out and breathing some fresh air always has a calming effect and often “resets” our bodies and brains. If I am grumpy or stressed, I know that going for a run can fix it (if not the problem itself, then at least the anxiety and negative feelings around whatever is currently going on).  

I don’t have to run, I get to run

I have friends with chronic illnesses and pain that prevents them from engaging in regular exercise routines.  I try to remind myself every day that if I wake up feeling good and without pain, it is a gift that I get to go out for a run.

Setting goals and/or signing up for race and challenges

Duh, I am sure that is on every runner’s list, because we all have a bit of a competitive streak, I am sure, and  having a goal/race to look forward to and work towards just helps to keep the motivation up. Proving to ourselves that we can accomplish something usually is a pretty good reward for keeping up a regular exercise habit.

The online running community

This is no joke and can’t be underestimated. Connecting with other like-minded people through blogs and Instagram and seeing them stick to their workout routines and crushing their goals is an immense source of motivation for me.  

I like rewards

Come on, don’t tell me that you haven’t employed that strategy yourself. A pretty good motivator for me to workout is a reward afterwards (we’re all pretty simple creatures when it comes down to it). For example, I immensely enjoy my first cup of coffee in the morning, so that is usually my reward. I tell myself that I can’t have my coffee before I worked out. What’s yours?

What keeps you motivated to run/exercise?

As you might recall, I was talked into my first running race by a friend 5+ years ago. I thought it was a one-time thing, until it wasn’t, and this is how my running journey started. 

Ever since I started running, I’ve tried to talk other people into running. (We all do this, right? It’s a natural thing to do, wanting to share something we love with the people around us.)

Earlier this year, I had convinced my friend Tanja to run a half marathon with me. Technically, it was a dare and Tanja is ambitious and crazy enough to accept (most) challenges. The time frame was fairly short, but nonetheless, she started a training plan and completed her first half marathon in April. We both ran it as a virtual race, as the one that we were signed up for, got canceled. (Sounds familiar?)

And then last weekend, my sister ran her first half marathon. 

Not even 6 months ago, she laughed at me and called me crazy. With 2 kids and a full-time job as a teacher (with no fixed working hours), she always claimed that there was no way to keep a regular fitness routine, let alone train for a half marathon. I get it, there are only so many hours in a day (but I also know that many, many moms find the time to train when they want to.)

When I told her that the San Francisco Marathon Event (which I’ve attended for the half marathon distance every year for the last 4 years) was going to take place during the time when she (and the rest of my family) were supposed to visit, I dared her to run this race with me. 

She laughed and said “no”.

I kept poking, and she – apparently – started thinking about it.

I poked more, until she jokingly asked, what would happen if she hypothetically gave this a try and then couldn’t finish the course within the time limit. 

I joked back that the sweep bus would pick her up.
Then I promised that this wasn’t going to happen.

She kept making excuses of why she wouldn’t be able to do it, the stupidest reason was that she  thought that she wouldn’t be able to keep up with me. That was obviously so not the point and I just kept talking about how that would be the experience of a lifetime to run a race in San Francisco together. 

Ha! And that’s when she took the bait.

She then asked if I could suggest a training plan for her (only so that she could take a look at what that would look like, of course).

Long story short: she started following the training plan (run/walk intervals) in March thanks to Corona, which afforded her some unexpected free pockets of time. She wasn’t able to completely stick to the training plan, BUT she kept putting herself out there and, believe it or not,  on Sunday, she completed the half marathon distance for the first time. 

The SF Marathon would have been two weekends ago. Obviously because of Corona, her trip and the SF Marathon got canceled, so we couldn’t run the race together after all,  but she was determined to run the distance after all the work she put in.

So, out of solidarity, and because we really were supposed to run this race together, I set out for my own 13.1 miles on Saturday morning. I thought, if there was any small outside chance that she contemplated bailing out the last minute, this would motivate her to follow through, because hey, we all know how intimidating the first race is, especially if you’re running it as a virtual race all by yourself.

Luckily, our dad agreed to accompany her on his bike and function as a mobile water station, because I stressed how important it was for her to drink and refuel along the way.

Her biggest fear was that she was going to hit a wall some time during the race (as she had during one of the longer practice runs) and that she wouldn’t be able to finish. I emphasized how important it was that she paced herself at the beginning, that she drank water and that she really didn’t pay much attention to pace (which everyone is bound to do, of course), but effort.

Since this was her first half marathon, it was going to be an automatic PR either way!

And I think she kind of outdid herself. Even though she said she was a little disappointed with her finish time (don’t we all always wonder if we could have pushed ourselves just a tad more?), she ran a perfect race and finished strong.

I am so thrilled with her time and so, so proud of her. She would have easily beaten the SF half marathon course limit of 3 hours! No sweep bus necessary (not that it’s a bad thing)!

I am telling you this story, because I want you to believe in yourself. I want you to believe that you can do hard things. And I want to remind you: never say never. What at some point seems impossible, might totally be in reach when you put your mind to it.

There will always be an opportunity to surprise yourself. 

This week, I am linking up with  Kookyrunner and Zenaida  for Tuesday Topics again.

Inspired by Lisa’s post, I am sharing my running lessons during these strange Corona times this week. I probably don’t have to repeat how strange the last few months have been for all of us.

It’s hard to believe that we’ve been under a shelter at home order for almost 4 months, but I am also not surprised how fast humans adapt to changing circumstances.  My workout habits had to change, inevitably, and there are some things I really like and some things I miss.  Let’s get to it.

It’s possible to improve even without a real training plan (who knew?)

When the Coronavirus hit the US, I was already halfway through my spring half marathon training plan and I kind of gave up on it when I realized that the race wasn’t going to happen. However, I ended up running my (goal) half marathon at the end of April as a virtual race anyway and I  ended up with a new PR. That was huge for me (and I do hope to repeat it on a measured course!). 

I have continued my regular workout routine during the last few months, and while I haven’t followed a training plan, I’ve consistently run faster paces than before, which surprised (and thrilled me).

There’s something to be said about “taking the pressure off”.

While I always say that I do better when I follow a training plan, not having a (goal) race on the calendar and just running for the sake of running (and for sanity, as I’d like to add) does take the pressure off and it’s been surprisingly good for my psyche. Running has definitely done wonders for my mental health these last few months, even more than I had always claimed before.

Having a training buddy (even a virtual one, or many) helps.

I’ve always been someone who likes solo runs. I can run when I want, for how long I want, as fast (or slow) as I want, so I am not missing the “group runs” as I almost always run alone. However, I love having an accountability buddy, someone who is also doing their workouts. It’s a huge motivation and it has helped me prepare for my real-turned-virtual race(s).

Working from home is very runner friendly

I’ve been keeping the same weekly workout schedule that I had before Coronavirus and before I started to work from home, but I am really enjoying my new morning routine.

Two morning per week, I do a 30-min strength workout and on days where I used to head out to the gym at an ungodly hour (before 5 am), I now leisurely stroll out of the house around 6 and get a nice run in (thank God it’s light out early right now). I usually run a 4-5 mile loop on 2 weekdays and then I take a quick shower and plop down in front of the computer with a glass of NUUN and my first coffee. 

I love the IG (+ blogger) running community

If I thought that the online runner community was amazing before Corona, I am shouting it from the rooftops now: THE ONLINE RUNNING COMMUNITY IS AMAZING!. To see all the runners come together, creating challenges and virtual races online to keep each other motivated and accountable, has been amazing (e.g. #theuncanceledproject and the #iwrsocialstreak).

I do miss my spin class.

One of my favorite cross-training activities for the last year or so has been the spin class (hat tip to my friend Tanja) at my gym once or twice per week and I miss that class dearly. I do not see myself going back anytime soon and I wish I could whip out the cash (and a dedicated space in our home) for a Peloton bike, but alas, that’s not going to happen.

Sticking to your routine is (as always) key.

With nowhere to be (other than your desk or dedicated work space), it’s easy to “slack off” a bit in the morning and get going later than usual. It’s nice to have flexibility, but it also translates into a longer work day.

I do try to strictly stick to my working hours and not let work spill over into my private life (which now all happens in the same space). I have occasionally worked through an evening or on a day that I usually have off (when projects required it), but generally sticking to my work schedule also means that I need to stick to my workout times. Win-win.

What have you learned during Corona times?

This week, I am linking up with  Kookyrunner and Zenaida  for Tuesday Topics. It’s been a while.