Desperately Seeking Motivation! HELP (Read 655 times)

I've been running for a few years now and lately I'm just not that motivated. Work has consumed my life, not to mention a new house (along with the chores that go with it) and this horrible hot muggy weather, which make it harder and harder to run. For the last few months I've been coming up with the lamest excuses and can't seem to find a way to make myself get back in the saddle. I even signed up for a half marathon in September (now only 6 weeks away), but that hasn't motivated me either (and yet I'm horrified that I won't finish). I use to be addicted to my peaceful evening runs, which I used as a way to relax and unwind after work. Now (even when I have the time) I can't convince myself to take one. And when I do, I feel so awful and out of shape. Has anyone else gone through a slump like this? Any suggestions? What can I do get myself running again?

The summer weather sucks and until very recently, I was having shitty run after shitty run. You just have to lace up your shoes and GO. Bad run, good run, you just have to get out there. If you are a rewards driven person, you could give yourself one for meeting a certain mileage or days goal ..

Sholtsman, I'm just coming off 9 months of absolutely no running - none, nada. In my 30 years of running I've experienced this on a couple of occasions. Last season I was running 30-40 mile weeks and ran a half with my son in September and after that the motivation went downhill fast. November 26th was my last log entry until just last week. I continued to fast walk with my wife in the evenings just to maintain some physical fittness. Sometimes it happens. It will run its course and you WILL be back. Try some other activity for a while to keep in shape. If you are a reader get yourself a good book on running. I've kept several over the years that re-energize me more with each read. Just finished George Sheehan's "Running to Win" (Rodale Press) and Hal Higgin's "Marathon-Ultimate Training Guide." Try one of these, or if you find something else, post it here.

When life gets hectic, it is easy to get caught up in all of the stress and drama of life. Just look at the news for example. We all get caught up with the negative things going on and the distractions in our everyday lives. And at the end of the broadcast, there is a little blurb of something positive that happened that day. It is those little blurbs that we need to try and focus on instead of all of the stressful things in our lives. Start out with a goal of just trying to do SOMETHING. Anything really. I read somewhere that it takes 3 weeks to form a habit but less than a week to break. You will probably find that the more consistent you can be at finding reasons TO workout, the less excuses you will start to come up with to avoid it. I recently signed up for a half and ever since I did, I have found it harder to NOT workout! I hope this helps!!!! Best of luck and fall running weather is right around the corner!!!!!

Go to the store and try on some pants two sizes too small. If you don't start exercising again, this is where you will be in about a year. No seriously, I've had slumps too, but they pass. Its just like starting out again. Take that first run, then your 2nd, 3rd and so on. Eventually you will feel like a runner again. Like others said, at this point its all in your head. Get motivated and off your A$$$......

Hi, I'm going to go ahead and mention the pink elephant in the room. You are depressed. Unfortunately, this affects your enthusiasm for running (literally, brings you down physically). But give yourself the benefit of the doubt. You have to think: "any judgment I make of myself or my ability to run, or my my shape, is unrealistic because it is marred by my mental state. Now, it has been documented that after a while, running will make your endorphins fire and you will feel better about yourself. So to get running, forget about planning long runs or don't think about the course etc. Your first run should be short and fast. Try to go out and release frustrations on that run, and scream if you need to. Make sure you break a sweat. but keep it short and don't think about it or plan it or you'll make up excuses not to do it. Then the next run should be a recovery run and run longer but much slower, and concentrate on not thinking about your problems, but your surroundings. All subsequent runs should be part of a plan and your thoughts should be focused on everything about the run. There is always time to deal with life ... after the run. Hope that helps.