The Secret of Effective Motivation? (Read 419 times)

I really enjoyed reading both of your responses. I will keep this short because I'm no mikeymike or ntown but you got me thinking about why I'm asking these questions. Yeah, I've always thought myself a runner since I was a fast little kid and got into track and just loved running as fast as I could. After that ups and downs, never high mileage, rarely consistently. Maybe I was more interested in the idea of it, I don't know but in college, I went so far as to major in exercise and sport science. Just loved studying the kreb's cycle, vo2 max, sports psychology (John Wooden!) all that stuff. Picked up and loved to read running books. But still why did I spend so much time thinking about it but not doing it? Yeah, I guess there were those years in college in Colorado where skiing was a big deal and took almost every weekend. Some cycling, rollerblading, hiking, climbing, etc. Just to be outside feeling that sun. Ran some 5ks and 10ks - but never trained for them. Went to medical school and thought I wanted to be a cardiologist and, I never told anyone this, but it was because I wanted to be like George Sheehan. So WTF was wrong with me? I don't know but some things just slowly dawn on me, take their time to creep in. And maybe somehow through your life you know it's in you just waiting until you are willing to acknowledge and take ownership of the mental and physical effort the project is going to take. I think a lot of things are that way. And different people have said this in different ways and I think I believe it, that we're all essentially runners, but maybe some people are more in tune with it than others.

Add me to those that don't know why they run, and don't need to know. Don't race much, and am slow for someone who runs as much, but know there is this desire to get faster, to get to a point where running is not laborious, not have to talk to myself to step out the door on a cold wintry day. Maybe one day get an Age group award.

Unlike Mike, Kevin and others am not a life long runner, although always was happy outside, while the rest of the kids were busy watching this amazing new invention at the time - TV.  Frankly sometimes think that my life may have been simpler had I never discovered the paved path behind our house 8 years ago. Probably could have avoided a few very contentious arguments.

Truly appreciate the small towns I've been to for a race, The back roads I've run on, the sunrise witnessed over a mountain while running, the thunderstorm I ran through, narrowly avoiding getting hammered by a big hailstorm, watching the world wake up, hear the birds sing, the exhilaration felt running at 3:00 AM and the rustling sounds in the road beside me imagining a mountain lion stalking me, and most importantly the friends I've made through running.  Don't know if any of these motivations are internal or instrumental.  Just that the fact running keeps me out my own thoughts for a couple of hours is good enough motivation for me, everything else is a bonus.

Great thread. As a 51 year old newbie, my perspective may be a little different. A common theme with many of you seems to be...you just run. You don’t know when or why you started, and don’t know or care what the motivation is to continue. I get that, and I hope to reach that point. But I’m not there yet.

Like many of you, I was an active kid. I rode my bike more than I ran, but I didn’t mind running, if I needed to get to a friend’s house or to the ball field quickly. But I can’t remember ever going out for a run, just to be running. After school, I stayed in fairly good shape, but mostly because of work. Climbing telephone poles, as I did for several years, provided a pretty good daily workout. I vaguely remember, in my mid to late 20’s, during a short-lived bodybuilding obsession, thinking that I needed to add some aerobic activity to my routine. I tried running for about a week, but was miserable, and gave it up. I gave up the bodybuilding soon after. A job change put me behind a desk, and over the years, my fitness level dropped, and my weight increased, but not significantly.

Over the past couple years, two things have made me think more about my fitness level. The first, and obvious one, is turning 50 years old. The second is seeing the declining health of my parents, and of my in-laws. Driving back from a visit with my wife’s parents in mid September of last year, DW and I had the “we don’t want to end up like them” conversation. The next day, I read an article in our local paper about the Reindeer Run 5k scheduled for December. I turned to DW and said, “I think I’ll start running, and this 5k will be a good goal to work towards.”

Two days later, Tuesday, September 17^th, I went out for my first run. I made less than 2 blocks before I had to walk to catch my breath. My total time on the run was 30 minutes, but less than 10 minutes of that was running, the rest walking. I seriously questioned my decision to start running. But I went back out 2 days later. The result was about the same...lots of walking, lots of huffing and puffing, lots of doubt...but little running. 2 days later, more of the same. And on and on....

So what kept me going? Here’s where we finally get to Joann’s original question...was it internal or instrumental motives? For the most part, at least for me, it was instrumental. I work at a local radio station, and in the first week of my running, I went on the air with our morning show DJ’s and talked about training, as a newbie, for the 5k (the station became a corporate sponsor for the race). I agreed to give periodic updates, on the air, about my progress. I’ll be honest, I wasn’t enjoying the runs, but I didn’t want to admit publicly that I was giving up that easy.

A breakthrough came in early November, on an early morning run. I started out a little slower than normal, and when the “misery” hit, as it always did around the half-mile mark, I decided to push through and keep running. I made it to one mile, then took a brief walk break. When I started to run again, my breathing seemed to slow, my legs felt good, and I felt like I could run forever. If it’s possible for a newbie to get the “runner’s high” at mile one, then I guess that’s what happened. All I know is that for the next mile and a half, I was in heaven! For the first time, I was enjoying the run, not struggling through it.

I’d like to say that all the runs since then have been as good, but that would be a lie. I made it through the 12 week training, and ran the Reindeer Run 5k in 31:39. After the race, I knew I was at a crossroads. I decided to take the next week off from running. Not because the 5k had taken that much out of me, but because I had accomplished what I set out to do (run the 5k), and now needed to decide whether to continue running. I knew if, at the end of that week, I was dreading going back out for another run, that would be a good sign that I needed to find another fitness activity. After two days, I wanted to run. After 4 days, I wanted to run even more. At the end of the week, I was going crazy...I NEEDED to run.

In mid December, I discovered RunningAHEAD, and joined the “50 and over 5k and beyond” user group. The support from that group, the Masters Running group, and the RA community in general has been a major factor in my continued running, albeit instrumental motivation. I have also joined up with some local runners and enjoy going out with them for occasional group runs (more instrumental motivation). I have run 4 other 5k races, the latest on July 4^th with a new PR of 24:48. I enjoy the races, and have started a training plan for a half marathon in early November. Knowing I’m registered for a longer race, and knowing I need to increase my miles to successfully run that race, does motivate me, but is just another example of instrumental motivation. What really keeps me going is the increasing frequency of the pleasurable runs.

So I understand that to you, Mikey, your friend Jeff, Kevin, Joann...and others who posted here, the question of why you run may be moot. But to a newbie like me, it’s a question I still have to ask, because knowing the answer is what keeps me lacing them up day after day. The instrumental motivation from my local friends, my RA friends, and the races is crucial to me...it keeps me going between those times that the internal motivation kicks in...those times that the rest of you are so familiar with, when, as Mikey told his neighbor, “the wind hits you in the face and almost takes your breath away. And you can’t imagine being anywhere else and doing anything else at that moment.”

That was nice, Mike.

Just wanted to add my thoughts.

My motivations keep changing throughout the years.  When I first joined the Air Force I ran to merely beat the annual 1.5 mile test so I didn't have to do any remedial training.  After I retired, I didn't run.  My weight really piled on and I was finding it difficult to make it to my mailbox without feeling winded.  My mailbox is attached to my house... I used P90X and Insanity to lose 50 lbs.  Ran a few times but only to see if I could still run.  After gaining my goal weight I just let myself go again.

Then came April 15, 2013.  I'm sure it sounds corny but I was so moved.  Particularly by the the death of Martin Richard the eight-year-old boy who was killed by the second bomb.  No more hurting people

I placed that image of him holding that sign on my facebook page.  I wanted to be part of that group of mourners and athletes.  I've never run a race before, never went out for sports but I figured I could do it if I started out slow and built up slowly enough.  I did the couch to 5k... with a bit of walking and running mixed and then moved on to finishing a 10k.  By Christmas I completed a half marathon training program but it was so cold I did it on my treadmill.  I signed up for the Twin Cities Medtronics Marathon which happens this October 5th.  I had been following a modified stretched out program on the Asics' website but have moved onto following the Hanson's Marathon Method.

Anyways, all that to say that my motivation to run when I was young was barely there and I dreaded doing it.  Now I run for my health, my quality of life, and cause I actually like it now.  I also feel I'm somehow contributing to the memorial of Martin Richard and the others who have lost their lives at an event normally used to promote community and the bringing together of athletes beginner to elite. I'm 57 now and wish I started running earlier but oh well.  I've been running pretty consistently for over a year and can't imagine stopping now.

-Norm

What do you folks think of a tool that adds external motivation to your internal motivation, to help you keep going?

 

Stuff like this?

 

This tool lets you bet against yourself or others. You put cash into the pot and set a goal. If you reach your goal, you get your money back. If you don't, you forfeit your money. If you compete with others, the un-reclaimed money at the end of the period goes to all those who achieved the goal. Set a goal to run 50 miles per week, put $10 on it and win or lose depending on how you do.

My daughter is using an app like this. She gets badges and awards for accomplishing different tasks.

It does alter her stuff in small ways. There have been maybe 10-15% of the days where she alters what she does to get an award, or get closer. She isn't betting real money on stuff.

I think it can help.

-Kelly

In general, internal is the kind of motivation that comes from within and instrumental motives comes from external factors. For most people the combination of internal and instrumental motivation would be most effective, making them more successful. In my opinion, we are always internally motivated. While external factors or motivation may provide us information on the things to consider, but those factors are internally weighed based on what we really want and aim for.

This is kind of timely for me. I started running in 2008 to help my daughter get ready to do high school cross country. Then, I stuck with it since she needed a regular/reliable training partner. Once she was out of high school I figured she no longer needed my help and pointed her to a local running club. I ran very sporadically over the following year and a half or so. Then, last summer I decided that I wanted to be a runner. I had noted significant health benefits from it, I kind of liked the relentless forward movement even when I feel worn out (albeit at a pretty slow pace) and the trance-like state I could get into on certain solo runs. I haven't missed a day since (367 day streak as of yesterday - not big miles... yet). So, I switched from external to internal motivation. The internal motivation is what causes me to call myself a runner now. At this point it's what I do and a part of who I am.

Congrats on your one year+ streak!  Streaking certainly is contributing to my motivation, or my motivation is making me streak.  Whichever.