Staying Motivated

I started running halfway through my junior year in college because by that point in my college career I had almost hit a triple with the freshman 15. I was stunned at how much weight I had put on since I had graduated from high school, but late nights filled with pizza and little exercise will do that to you. Of course, I had to work two jobs to put myself through school, so I had the perfect excuse for not being in shape despite being so young. By the end of the first semester of my junior year, I had resolved to change, and so on January 1, 1992, I ran for the first time since I had finished off my senior year on the tennis team in high school, and thus began my running life.

When I took that first step out of my apartment, I didn't know it at the time, but I had begun what has become a journey of more than 20 years. I've learned a lot over the years about myself and about running. I've been fortunate enough to meet some really interesting and informative people during that time that have helped me become better. Why does that matter? Well, running is really all about you. It's about making yourself better. It doesn't matter what others can do or are able to do. The beauty of running is that you're only in a race with yourself. With that in mind, there are a few key things I've learned over the years to stay motivated and improve.

When I started running, my primary goal was to lose weight and get back into shape. I didn't even have a specific number goal in mind, but I did want to run the Peachtree Road Race, a grand 10K that is held every year in Atlanta. The Peachtree is a big deal in Atlanta, so that kept me motivated to keep running despite the fact that my first run that cold day in January 1992 left me breathless and exhausted after only two miles. Once I ran the Peachtree, I was hooked and I realized the importance of setting goals.

I started with time goals. I tried to finish a 5K in a certain time. I mostly ran 5Ks back then. Once I got better at 5Ks, I started running more 10Ks and I tried shaving a little off my time each year. It was a lot of trial and error because I really didn't know what I was doing, but having those goals kept me focused on what lay before me. That focus kept me motivated. I think it would be hard to stay motivated if you're just aimlessly running, so figure out what your goals are and try to hit them.

Another motivational trick that I learned by accident is to register for races. In my first year, my main goal was to run the Peachtree Road Race, but even I knew back then that I had to get some practice before I toed the line on July 4th. After running sporadically for much of that first January, I signed up for some Spring races.

Putting events on your calendar at a specific time in the future does wonders for your motivation. Once you cross that threshold from "I'd like to..." to "I'm going to..." you suddenly stop making excuses for not doing your training runs. The last thing I wanted to do was to run my first 5K and suffer a "Did Not Finish" (DNR). That got me out the door on my running days and kept me focused on finishing the distance BEFORE I ran the race.

Since that first Spring of running, I've used this motivational tactic to keep me focused. For example, I've already signed up for the five marathons I want to do this year. They're on my calendar. I've made some travel plans already. There's no way I'm skipping my training runs unless I'm injured or ill. These definite dates are staring at me every time I look at my calendar. That's all the motivation I need.

While my first two methods of staying motivated became part of my regimen early on in my running life, this last one only came along recently as in three years ago. You'd think that someone running for over 20 years would have discovered this earlier, but not me. I spent the first 17 years of my running life running from race to race. Depending on the distance, I'd train for the miles, and while I'd want to improve, most of my improvement happened by chance, not skill or strategy. Then, I met a few folks who really knew their stuff and they taught me some things.

Without boring you with the war stories, the gist of their lesson is that you should train with a purpose. If you want to improve your endurance, you have to run the distance you're going to run in your race. If you want to improve your speed, you have to train for speed. Sounds simple, huh? It's not quite that simple.

For many years, I just logged miles. I have the training log to prove it. I figured if I just put the miles in I'd get better. I did to a point. Once I realized the importance of training with a purpose, I changed my whole outlook, and my level of improvement accelerated dramatically. I was able to knock 1:12 off my marathon time (yes, that's over one hour). I was able to consistently finish 10Ks in less than 40 mins and even pushed the 18-minute mark on 5Ks. No, these aren't world-class times, but I'm no world-class athlete. All of this was because I started training with a purpose.

Admittedly, this training with a purpose idea was only half baked until I recently read a book about the FIRST training program (See link to the book below), but as I read it, I realized that I had been doing this in an abbreviated form for the past three years. After reading the book, I honed my focus on running with a purpose. If you like running books or if you're looking for some expert guidance on your own training program, I highly recommend the book. Regardless of whether or not your read the book, every run you do should have a purpose. Junk miles won't help you improve and may not keep you motivated to run. More on this later in future posts. Until then, think about the purpose of your training.