Off the couch ... Day 5 Motivation for Running

Motivation for Running in general PART 1

Last week a friend of mine asked me what I do to motivate myself every day new to run regularly.

Well, this is a very funny question as I am just running (again) 22 days but I tried to add it up in a list what motivates me.

Set Goals. Do it yourself.
I set goals for myself, I have dreams and knowing that these goals are SMART I try to make them come true.
I wrote the goals down and I chopped them into little pieces. You cannot eat an elephant in one meal (on toast, ;-)), but you can eat an elephant bit by bit.

Use a Training-Log.
My training-log keeps all big and small details. It comes in a little book and looks after 22 days already a bit shabby but "loved". It keeps my training, my training-forms. Time, mood, who went with me, training-partners and sometimes a little “souvenir”, like a dried poppy or a shell…yes, I know, very girlie but shouldn't’t it be fun?
Michael from http://thefatburningmachineblog.com/ keeps everything from eating-times to calories and exercises in his published log and writes it down; Mike from http://www.aussiebodybuilder.wordpress.com/ keeps even the rest-periods of his weight-training in a written form. It is all in the details.
Both of them talk a lot about intensity and giving your best every day new and every day “better”. It motivates a lot if you can see what you achieved already. A training-log does it for me.


Tell all your buddies about your plans and be part of a like-minded group.
Be a part of a group, even a group in the Internet.
For me it is working so well. Adam Waters from http://www.rtpblog2.wordpress.com/ is Mr. Accountabilty and HE KNOWS from experience to get what you want and how. Tell the world about your dreams and show daily that you are working on them.

Do what you preach and follow your plans in this group, your buddies will cheer you on.
Have a blog or report to people. Communicate as much as you can and JUST DO IT.


Lilla from http://www.shekhinahdivine.blogspot.com/ shows every day in detail what she did, she even copies her different buddy-groups to her blog so you can see with one view what she achieved in one day. Invite people you know to join activities, share your knowledge and experience.
Encourage like this all like-minded people, see the different goals and dreams and learn from their experience, knowledge and courage (yes, this as well, it is not easy to reveal deepest emotions and show (emotional) "love handles"). Just BE part of a group.
It sounds like "Anonymous Runners" or "Anonymous Whatever" but is works and the more often you are involved in this group the more you will be encouraged by it and the members to follow your self-set (!) dreams.
You start by “riding in their slip-stream” and with time you can become a pace-maker, a tempo-maker or something else. You can be what you want and who you want. But the group- and buddy-effect is magic.
I highly recommend it.


Keep Reminders around you.
I have these little reminders everywhere:

My running-shoes close to the door, my NIKE+-adapter in the bath-room, protein-powder never in a cupboard but openly on the kitchen-desk, a post-it in my diary, my daily goals on top of my diary.
Make your own screen-saver with some motivational affirmations.
I had once a training-partner who used to wear his sports-underwear all day, load some motivational music to your sound-system & listen to it first thing in the morning,

(Part 2 will follow soon)





My day was packed with work and almost according to my plan, I must make a plan how I will deal with my nutrition in the future as I need to change a couple of things.



Blogger has again problems to load up my accountability log, I managed 90 % (the nutrition point kicks me out every day...)



It is late at night, sleep well,



I will be back tomorrow,



Juli