Keeping up the motivation and other such struggles...

                   I have been so tired lately. It could have something to do with the fact that anytime I change anything in my diet or my exercise my whole rhythm comes apart. I have not had a normal cycle now for 2 months and this weekend of all weekends (Spring Break) 'Aunt Martha comes to town' and with it goes all my energy. I am going to search for another marathon training plan that is more doable. As it is right now I have a 4 -day training week and not only are the long runs getting longer, which is fine, but the weekdays runs were getting to be up to 2 hours 3 times a week, which is not really a sustainable plan I found out....
                     Therefore, for now I am trying to feel happy with just the fact that I am still getting out there and getting my runs in and trying not to focus on sticking with this plan so religiously that it ruins my day if I can't keep up. I need my confidence in these runs and feeling like I am not meeting my goals will not help, no matter how much I run. In the meantime, I am posting this picture I got sent from the Cherry Blossom 10 miler I ran 2 weeks ago....I think I seriously need to post this photo somewhere where I can see it....lately the UPS provided by my runs expire so fast......hard to maintain my euphoric feelings for longer than a day....I am hoping this just has to do with the fact that my body's rhythms are just totally off right now and am trying to just keep on moving forward....

On some positive notes:

** I have already run 483 miles this year!!! That is an average of 34 miles a week.....very nice!!  

** My Brooks Pure Connects (3) have been working awesome....I love, love, love these sneakers....

** I have been running al my runs using my Nathan's Hydration pack. Keeps my hands free. I can stick my phone and my mace in the pocket to my right and be on my way......it's hard now to go back to anything else....love having my hands free and nothing around my waist. 

** Have been dealing with my plantar fasciitis issues by wearing this foot wrap at night.....at first I felt stupid for spending so much money ($38) on such a device but after the first night I got up from bed with NO initial morning pain on my foot.....I have been using it for a week now and the odd feeling of wearing this bulky thing does go away after the first few nights. Now I can hardly feel it. Also, it does feel like it would not work, but it's very effective...no matter how subtle you may feel it might be initially. 

Do You Really Need Support in Order to Run?

                      I am a member of an online community called Women's Running Network and lately I have seen a lot of posts of women complaining about not getting the approval or support from a loved one of their new running habit. Most have begun running recently and their new-found love of running has stirred up their personal relationships. I think as a whole, women have created a huge problem for themselves in constantly seeking approval first and foremost in order to pursue the things they love to do. Relationships will tense up whenever things change, maybe harsh words will be shared, maybe loved ones will, at first, or even for many, many years, not take you and your habit seriously and yes, say stupid, mean, ridiculous things. It's ultimately up to you to either abandon ship at the first sign of trouble OR follow your passion undisrupted by others' opinions, stupid hurtful comments and non-support.
                       Why do we need so much approval anyway? The few times in my life in which I did not care an iota what others thought about my choices, and went ahead as planned, are the times I felt so incredibly strong about my choices. Those decisions were more often some of the best decisions I have ever made. Like in any new love, whether they are people or new habits, we personally must decide just how much it will become a part of us. The benefits I derive from running are so beneficial that I know no one is shaking me off this boat, approval or not. Needing approval places the power in the hands of another and that is a dangerous way to live life. To better explain my point, think of a dog, or any animal for that matter. Do dogs have to get approval for barking? Do fish have to get approval for swimming? Do birds need approval for flying. My point? If running is truly part of your life, than don't sit around waiting for approval or support, just do it. Make you a part of running and running a part of you. Once people see that running is so inextricably a part of your very nature, they will ease up the ruffled feathers and soften with time, or maybe not. But we must disconnect from this intense need to constantly get support and approval in order to grow into who we truly are.
                           One side clause here. Of course, if we have families and children we must be mindful of the time we spend away from them pursuing our ultimately selfish habit. Most runners with families run before their children wake, while they are at school or when they go to bed so as to not sacrifice any "family time". We also must still genuinely be mindful of our loved ones complaints and gauge if their gripes are genuine. In my case, my husband is also a runner, so when I started running he grumbled quite a bit about having to negotiate when we ran on weekends so as to not use up the whole day up. Took a few months to adjust to new schedules and new priorities, but soon things settled and now I check with him the night before and we decide on who will  go first the next day, etc.
                         So don't give up on running just because your loved ones are not so gracefully adjusting to your new life. Forgive, move on, continue running and soon they will see that you ARE indeed serious and that running is a part of who you are. Once they get this fact, based solely on your dedication and non-wavering partaking of your habit, the work will be done for you. Remember, you are a runner and you don't need support or approval for what you do because it's just who you are. The approval and support may come eventually as it did for me a year later, but your goal is to not be driven by them.

How to SUCCESSFULLY Get Up Early Before Work and Go Running

                   











                    


                     I figured it out!!!.....well, not really....I just merely finally decided to follow the advice I've been hearing for months now on how to motivate oneself to go for a run early in the morning, before work. The advice is and has always been, get everything ready for your run.....shoes, music, earphones, socks, hairbands....whatever it is you use and place it right next to your bed. Simple right?

             I KNEW all along this advice existed, just never bothered to follow it. So this is the second time now that I did this preparation and had an amazing run, it did not feel like torture and I did not immediately slump back into my warm bed. I must add though that for this advice to really work long term you must go to bed at a decent hour, OR you surely will be miserable with a capital 'M'. 

                  This morning at 5am was THE perfect time for a run. It was a dry, not wind, 60 degrees and the sun had not yet come up.  The birds were already singing as if they knew morning was coming and that made it extra special. Running in the morning is a bigger-than-life itself mood altering act of which makes me grateful, happy and giddy all at the same time. It's like this tiny decision I make at the wee hours has the potential to make my day into a smashing success....how easy, how huge, how small.....
                 

Running in the rain ROCKS!!!

                       I absolutely love running in the rain....I got home from work today and quickly changed into my running clothes and went out the door. It was not going to be another night run in the stinky gym with its odd smell and sweltering heat turned up to the max. 

                               

I did it....I got up early to run

                        It has been so cold lately I have not been able to get out to run, leaving me with one awful option, working out at the gym. So at 5am this morning when my alarm went off, more than half of me begged and kicked to go back to bed for an hour.....but I fought it hard, drank my coffee and headed out the door....BOY WAS IT AMAZING!!......not only did I feel great finally running on pavement again, but I also ran a faster 3 miles than usual....when I got back to my apartment I caught the sun coming up making the whole sky this beautiful orange-red color (see image above). Cannot wait for my long run tomorrow.