Tag Archives: lack of motivation

May 8th: Sometimes it Sucks… But Then You Remember…

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it sucks

 

I’ve been tired since the minute I woke up at 6am this morning… and the coffee wasn’t working.  I was hungry all day despite scarfing down what I brought for lunch, and the cat nap I took on the couch when I got home didn’t refresh or energize me at all.  I’ve been uncomfortable and cranky ALL DAY and the last thing I wanted to do was push myself to go out into the South Florida heat and exhaust myself even further on a run.

But as 7pm rolled around, all I could think about was this:  If you want to accomplish anything in life, ANY goal whatsoever (whether it be fitness, school, work, relationships, finances etc.) you gotta do the work.  You have to do things you don’t want to do.  You have to sacrifice your time, energy and preferences.  Sometimes it sucks but, you just have to lace up and do it.

Good thing I pushed through the exhaustion today:  3.01 miles at an 8:40 pace!!!  Whaaaa??!!  Look who’s getting faster! 😉  Now I remember why I run!  I can see that 1:59:00 half marathon in my near future.

Weeknight Workout Epic Fail

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I wasn’t able to do my routine run on Monday because of a terrible rain storm that didn’t seem to let up for hours. Eventually, I threw the whole notion of running out the window and decided to eat dinner and relax with a glass of wine. I knew that on Wednesday I’d have to stay at the school until 8pm because of “open house night” and that on Friday evening I’d be rushing to the airport for our weekend get-away. On Tuesday I came home exhausted and unmotivated but, I decided that I didn’t have any choice in the matter but to put on my running clothes and head out if I was going to get any mileage in this week at all.

I felt achy, heavy and sluggish the minute I started running but convinced myself that once I had finished a mile, I’d be warmed up and less irritated by the whole thing. Unfortunately, it had just finished raining and the pavement was sending up waves of scorching humidity towards my face. Now I was achy, heavy, sluggish AND uncomfortably hot. I thought this was supposed to be fun? But, again, I decided to press on and just keep going, hoping I’d eventually get in a groove and “auto-pilot” would kick in.

For me, “auto-pilot” is that point in any run when I am no longer making a conscious effort to move my limbs. In fact, I’m not even thinking about the fact that I’m running anymore. I’m meditating solely on the sound of my feet hitting the pavement and my mind is blank or focused on observing my surroundings. Unfortunately, this wasn’t happening for me.

As I miserably pressed on, I saw an older, heavy-set woman wearing a cotton t-shirt and pair of heavy sneakers trotting along. I tried to make myself feel better by feigning a sense of superiority because she was obviously “not a true runner” and I huffed and puffed as I passed her on the sidewalk. One mile down and not only was I STILL not having any fun, I had now developed an uncomfortable stitch on the right side of my rib cage… But I continued forward.

My pace became irregular and I began to exhale more aggressively to get the carbon dioxide out of my lungs. That gave me no results so I started to do all the tricks in the book like the “lift your arms” thing, then I tried the “slow your pace” thing and eventually the “stop completely and walk for a bit” thing but nothing got rid of the stitch which had now turned into a full-on cramp… And that’s when it happened.

That’s when the cotton t-shirt lady passed me. (gasp)

Immediately thereafter, the cramp got so bad that I couldn’t breathe right so I called my boyfriend and got picked up alongside of the road, panting pathetically. I was only a mile and a half away from finishing the only run I was probably going to do this week and I had totally chickened out because of a stupid cramp and a fast old lady in non-dry-wick fabric.

I had defeated myself, really. I had let my exhaustion, my stress, my pride and my neuroses get the best of me. That’s my problem… I limit myself by not getting out of my own head.

In what ways have you defeated yourself on a run? How have you worked to over come this? How do you feel when you hit YOUR “auto-pilot”? Please share.

To Run or Not to Run: Fitting Workouts into Work Schedules

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It’s my first week back to school, which means I‘ve had to fit in my workout schedule back into my work schedule. And to be honest, it hasn’t been easy. How often do we skip out on our runs because we’re just “too tired” after work? I’ll admit I’ve done it plenty of times in the past. I’ve come to realize, however, that this only makes me feel worse. I get antsy and frustrated ON TOP of being tired and stressed out.

On my “About Me” page I share about my fascination with the mind-body connection. The mind can truly decide what the body can and cannot, will and will not do… which can either be a great thing or a horrible thing. In turn, the mind responds positively to chemicals naturally produced in the body when it is in motion. Ever hear of the “runner’s high”? It’s a real thing, and it’s pretty amazing. What’s more, that “high” sustains itself far longer than the short term gratification you get from sitting on the couch an extra half hour in your sweat pants eating chips before dinner. (Not that any of us have ever done that before or anything.)

To be honest, all unhealthy decisions are based on impulsivity and the desire for short term gratification. In fact, understanding this IS THE KEY to creating a paradigm-shift in your health and appearance. Think about it, those individuals who are least healthy are those who can’t seem to get past their need for “short term” gratification. That desire to gratify oneself by eating that crunchy fried food or sleep-in outweighs the desire to build the endurance to run faster or have your body look better in that bathing suite. Why? Because it’s easier… and because they just haven’t found the needed inspiration to do what their bodies and minds deserve instead of what their bodies and minds “want right now.”

As I’ve attended conferences and meetings this past week, I have been bombarded by inspirational quotes and ideas from motivational speakers, principals and co-workers. Their intention was to light a fire in us so that we begin the new school year positively as educators. As I reflect on some of the things that have been said, I realize that I don’t want this positivity to wear-off as though it were two weeks into January and I fell of the “New Year’s Resolution wagon”. I want my positivity for the new school year and my positivity about my personal, health and fitness goals to sustain like a runner’s high that keeps me wanting more. I’m not going into this for the short term gratification of it. I know better and I’m going to make the choices I need to find long- term spiritual happiness. My future is my inspiration.

Here are my tips for getting out there for your runs even if you are exhausted after working a full day:

1. If your schedule permits, wake up early and do your workouts BEFORE you even go to work: Once you leave the office and realize that you still have kids to pick up, dinner to cook, laundry to fold and phone calls to make, you wont have the energy or desire to do anything but shower and get comfy.

2. Prepare the night before: I pack my lunch, prepare my vitamins, get my clothes ready and pack my gym bag (if I’m going to yoga) before I go to bed the night before. You won’t make as many excuses if you’re already prepared and ready to go…

3. Buddy up: If you have someone waiting for you to exercise, it makes it that much harder to skip out. Avoiding humiliation has helped me follow through with a many workouts I would have preferred to skip out on.

4. Do what feels right: So, your training schedule calls for 5 miles at race pace today but you feel beat up from that zumba class you tried out yesterday. Don’t skip out completely! Do what feels right. Run the 5 miles slower (walk if you have to) but do SOMETHING. Being kind yourself will make it easier to get out there and make the effort.

5. Have fun: Don’t commit to a goal or exercise routine you don’t like (or flat-out makes you miserable.) Do what makes you happy and feels fun to you!

Are you ready to make that paradigm shift in your life? Are you willing to let go of short-term gratification and be willing to EARN the rewards of long-term happiness and satisfaction? How will you do it? What will be your inspiration?

I need to fuel my fire within! Please give me your feedback!!