I've been struggling a little this morning deciding what to write about and then I decided to write about. Woody and I went to Equinox this morning for our last workout of our 3-day trial. Turns out I got an email though saying we could go again tomorrow. Need to decide if we will or not since they open half hour later than our normal gym. Anyway, after our workout we jumped on the crowded subway (Saturday schedule for the holiday), picked up apples at the farmers market and then battled our way through Trader Joe's to stock up on nourishment for the week. We finally made it home and I was famished so I had to make my breakfast (at 11am) asap. Through all this, I still couldn't decide what to write about, but then it hit me, I should write about motivation.
I've had a bit of trouble getting motivated to run lately. It seems crazy since I have a half marathon coming up at the end of April, but it's true. I've read several blog posts lately about a lack of motivation, so perhaps it is a winter thing, but for as many posts about diminished motivation that are out there, I read even more posts about strong training runs, successful race recaps and lofty running goals.
I think part of my problem is that for two months after the marathon I wasn't even allowed to run. My feet were completely messed up and I could hardly take a step walking without being in pain, let alone run a mile. Admittedly, that has screwed with my confidence level. While I've been consistent on the elliptical since the marathon, I've been slow to get back on the treadmill. My pace has definitely slowed and this annoys me. With the pain I was in leading up to the race and a developing stress fracture, I ran the marathon much slower than I had hoped. Without running for a few months, my pace has remained slow. I know I need to push myself to get that pace closer to where it once was, but I'm nervous about pushing it too hard and injuring myself again. I've been wearing orthotics for a few months but the one in my left shoe still isn't right and that makes running even more difficult.
Gaining back confidence after an injury can be a difficult thing, and maybe a long process. Also, getting back the motivation to run seems to be a bit difficult too. The cover story for the latest issue of Runner's World is about Kara Goucher. She's an incredible runner and this story really delves into her psyche and the struggles she has gone through during her career. While we run for two different reasons, and I never expect to win a race, I felt a bit of encouragement to hear what she has gone through with injuries and has still come back to be a winner. Maybe my life as a runner isn't over! I'm still young. Some people don't even start running until later in life. I can't let a few little injuries get me down too far. I have to fight back.
Hopefully as warmer weather approaches (it has to sometime, right?) that will help my motivation to run as well. I mean, really, who enjoys running on a treadmill when there are so many places to explore outside? I hope to get outside for a run (well, a jog, might be more accurate) later this week and see how it goes. I really am looking forward to running with my friends and enjoying the excitement of race day, but getting there is a bit more difficult than I had anticipated. I just hope I can make it through the 13 miles. (Doesn't that sound crazy when I ran 26 only a few months ago?!
So, I'm asking today for suggestions or personal experiences from all of you. What motivates you? How do you get back into the game after an injury, or series of injuries, have set you back? How do you kick yourself in the butt and get going?
