RunningAHEAD - Topic: I thnk my motivation is running away

Etapli61

posted: 10/12/2007 at 11:14 AM

So, I finished my last big race of the season, and now I have nothing to run for!! As winter creeps up it will be impossible to train appropriately for a spring marathon. Watching my weekly mileage crash and burn is incredibly painful and I'm at a loss. Anyone been through this? How do I maintain my motivation. Without a goal looming in the near future I don't know what to do!

va

posted: 10/12/2007 at 11:31 AM

Hi Emilee, Do you still have some weight to lose? You can use that as your motivation. Keep running, and burning those calores. Imagine training for a spring marathon, 5 pounds lighter. That will be sweet! If you are at your target weight, then just run to maintain your fitness, if you don't you will lose it.

Mishka-old log

posted: 10/12/2007 at 12:19 PM
modified: 10/12/2007 at 12:19 PM

You don't have to run to stay in shape. There's plenty of cross training options available to mix things up. A tough hike through the snow in the dead of winter is just as good as a run. If you don't want to explore other activities, are there some smaller running-related goals you can put together to address your "no goal" problem? Finally, a couple weeks away from running (that's right, no running) wouldn't be the end of the world. You're due. It could be the refresher you need. Before you do though, make sure you put a date out there where you commit to getting back into it, otherwise, you might not.

Ed4

Barefoot and happy

posted: 10/12/2007 at 1:27 PM

Quote from Etapli61 on 10/12/2007 at 11:14 AM:

As winter creeps up it will be impossible to train appropriately for a spring marathon.

Impossible? Hardly. I have friends up in Bangor who train year round. You just need the right gear and the right attitude.

Without a goal looming in the near future I don't know what to do!

You just answered your own question. Set a goal. It doesn't have to be a race, or even running-related. Just set a fitness goal and don't give up. But really, it's hard to understand your question. If not running is "incredibly painful" to you, then go running! I think you need to ask yourself, "why do I run?".

Curious about running barefoot? Visit the ~~new~~ barefoot running group.

Run To Win

#2867

posted: 10/12/2007 at 1:44 PM

My season ends at the end of the month with the Marine Corps Marathon. I don't know what I am going to do in the Spring yet, so while I know that I am definitely taking the month of November off from running I do not know what I am going to do about December yet. I will probably start training again in early December. My time off, of course, is hardly that; it just means that I won't run for a month. Instead, I will lift weights and swim. Taking time off from the running is important. Your body needs time to recover from a long racing season and to get recharged for the next year. You can certainly train for and get in shape for a Spring marathon no matter where you live. I try to get runs in at lunch time, and when I am up in the Bangor area then I head out to the ponds for some ice fishing and lake running. The nice thing about 18 inch thick ice is that it will support me pretty well, and I get a lot of strange looks from the guys that are fishing when they are bundled up and freezing while I am out there in shorts and a t-shirt (sometimes).

Run to Win
25 Marathons, 17 Ultras, 16 States (Full List)

jeffreyvollum

posted: 10/12/2007 at 7:12 PM

Hi Emilee, Not to be overly simplistic, but sometimes it helps to just go back and look at your reasons for running in the first place. From your profile: Why do I run: Because there is nothing better than that rush you get at the end of your run. And there is always room for improvement. Why would you want to give up that rush? If all else fails, look at cross training options for the cold months. Good luck, Jeff

"You can't have everything. Where would you put it?" - Steven Wright

Etapli61

posted: 10/12/2007 at 8:04 PM

Perhaps a small break would refresh me- I hadn't even thought of that as an option. I will definately add in some strength training, an area which has been severly lacking. Thanks for the great ideas and encouragement, I'm feeling less guilty about my current lack of motivation. I love you guys, (sigh).

Run To Win

#2867

posted: 10/12/2007 at 9:24 PM

Quote from Etapli61 on 10/12/2007 at 8:04 PM:

Perhaps a small break would refresh me- I hadn't even thought of that as an option. I will definately add in some strength training, an area which has been severly lacking. Thanks for the great ideas and encouragement, I'm feeling less guilty about my current lack of motivation. I love you guys, (sigh).

Motivation ebbs and flows; working with it to make sure that it doesn't flag too much, and knowing when to take time off to keep from breaking it completely, can be a fine line. Well worth trying to walk, though.

Run to Win
25 Marathons, 17 Ultras, 16 States (Full List)

dmiller23462

posted: 10/13/2007 at 6:17 PM

Run for that "endorphin rush" Run for the way the clothes fit Run to make your ass tighter (not trying to be vulgar here Confused

) Run because you're in a special club of people who do it Run so you can eat that piece of _____ that you're craving Run because you get to see some beautiful scenery (when you're not being chased by dogs!) Run because so many people out there CAN'T run... Run because __________________ Wink

"Every man's life ends the same way. It is only the details of how he lived and how he died that distinguish one man from another." -Ernest Hemingway

-When Chuck Norris wants popcorn, he breathes on Nebraska.

-Chuck Norris destroyed the periodic table, because he only recognizes the element of surprise.

I thnk my motivation is running away (Read 804 times)