Short lunch break run to get my legs moving again. There was a brief window of sun in the rainy day according to the hourly forecast on weather.com so I made a break for it. The majority of the soreness is gone, all I felt during the run was tightness in my calves. That could have been due to the fact that I never stretch before or after these mid-day runs, oops. I did a short 3.14 near my office in 27:48. There were little stops in there for traffic lights, etc so don't get carried away with the sudden increase in pace. Unless I was racing I doubt I would have been able to sustain that pace for long. My mind tends to wander during my runs and today it wandered on to what I was going to do to take my training to the next level. My goal for MCM is really simple, FINISH. But that doesn't mean I won't be putting 100% effort into my training or trying to push myself to my fullest potential. I spent good money on a personal trainer over the winter months and I think it helped me get across the finish line this weekend. It gave me a taste of what my body could handle and what it could become.
However, I can't afford to continue doing that. I would like to implement a strength training plan on my own that can complement my running. I'd also like to start incorporating cross training into my week. I have a gym membership to a great 24 center with a pool and free classes but I never go. My lunch runs aren't going to work anymore, as I need to do more then 3-4 miles at a pop for marathon training. That leaves running home from work to the bus stop and getting home late or getting up really early before work and running near the house. The real question here is not when I can do this, but how. I am the worst self-motivator. I don't have a training partner and I'm lousy at holding myself accountable. I am a busy person, there is no denying that. But there is time available in my day to do more for my fitness than I am doing now. I just can't get my butt off the couch and I don't know how to change that. I don't want another mediocre racing season. I want to look back, regardless of the outcomes, and know I did everything I could. No regrets. I've never been able to do that before. Some of my dearest friends and favorite bloggers seem to have mastered the life/run balance and I would love to hear some suggestions on how I might be able to do the same.
What gets you out of bed early/out the door after a long day for a workout? Do you have a reward/punishment system? Do you try and trick yourself into a workout? What holds you accountable?
Hey girl thanks for your comment on my blog. I will make sure to add you to my reading list.
ReplyDeleteAs far as motivation goes I always just remember how great I feel after a morning workout and how much better the rest of my day goes. Here are my tricks to getting my butt out of bed in the morning.
1- Get everything ready the night before. Lunche made, bag packed, ect...
2- Sleep in your gym clothes.
3- Put your alarm clock in a different room so you are forced to get out of bed to turn it off. :)
These are just a few of my tricks and I hope they work for you. Good luck and remember I will be stocking your progress. :)
My biggest trick for getting out of bed in the morning is realizing how hot it will be later in the day. That only works for about 3 months, but I always plan my marathons for after those 3 months. Seriously, the marathon itself is a huge motivator once training officially starts. And of course you could join me at T2EA or my running group capitalarearunners.com. You would NOT be the slowest person there. It would probably be a better use of your gym dollars for a few months, is cheaper than a trainer anyway, and George always says that the fees are negotiable. And tell him you know me. Plus the people in the group are awesome. I'm so excited for you to do this!!
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