Well, here we go again for another round in blog-land. Sorry it's been so long, but lately I've been having trouble thinking of things to write about. When I first started doing this, it was easy because I had so many things on my mind that I wanted to share. Now, I find myself starting a post, only to feel like maybe I might be repeating myself and becoming...*gasp*...boring. God forbid. That's not to say I have slowed down or stalled in my fitness efforts, I just struggle to find new things to say about them. Of course, life is full of little fits and starts, surprises, realizations, epiphanies and whatnot. Unfortunately for me, most of the time topics come to mind when I'm nowhere near my computer, and by the time I sit down to start a post, whatever was in my brain has already fallen out. Thankfully I have enough to put a few words out here and there, so here's the latest.
Lately my mind has been on the things that have kept me going during the time I've been undergoing this strange but wonderful transformation in my life. That is, what motivates me to do what I do. What is it that I do exactly? It changes from day to day, really, from the basic to what some might consider difficult or extreme. I watch what I eat. I make sure to get enough rest, and I run a couple short routes during the week. And once a week, I get up to run hours before the sun comes up, just to have time to get in as many miles as possible before I have to endure life-sucking UV rays and heat. I am not by any definition a morning person, yet on those days when that crack-of "Oh My God, Are You Kidding" alarm goes off, I get up, get going, and gladly git 'r done. Did I spell that wrong? I don't know, I'm from California. But I digress... The truth is, what I do is not easy, and there is a whole lot of planning, effort, and occasionally pain involved. That's why most people generally don't do what I do. And that's why for most of my life, I didn't do what I now do. So what made it possible and keeps me going now? Here are a few things.
It started out, as I previously posted, simply with the desire to lose weight and be healthy. I had that desire for many years, yet kept making excuses because I knew it would be very difficult to get where I wanted to be physically. I tried quick fixes here and there, but I always failed because I didn't change my habits regarding food and especially exercise. Until that silly encounter with the hotel bathroom mirror. You've heard that story before, but I just need to mention it in this post because that was, of course, my first motivation to start making serious changes. It is a moment that is seared into my mind so indelibly that I can never hide from it, and even now pushes me to keep moving forward. In that instant, in seeing that I looked so bad, so unhealthy, and so very very sad, I knew it was time to take notice and stop making excuses. It was the first driving force of motivation, and it got me off and running, so to speak.
After the initial "aha moment", though, I still found myself struggling to keep making the right choices and to stick to the plan. Old habits kept their power over me until I realized it was simply the feelings of enjoyment they gave me that were my downfall, not the habits themselves. If I could enjoy a healthy lifestyle as much as the unhealthy one, I would have a better chance to succeed. But how? As a lifetime of habits are hard to change, the replacements must as appealing as whatever they are replacing in order for the changes to stick. When I first decided to make the changes in my life I was the ultimate couch potato. I was sitting almost all of the time, spending all day at my desk at work and then heading straight home to sit in front of the TV from the time I got there until the time I went to sleep. So, when I first started going for walks, I wasn't used to being physically active. I found it difficult, uncomfortable, boring and a little embarrassing. I needed to make going for walks fun, or at least slightly less than horrible to make it worth it to get out and get going. How could I make it something to look forward to? I needed distractions and I needed them now.
The first thing that helped motivate me was music. I know I'm not the only one. It seems that nearly every person you see jogging or working out has a gadget strapped to their arm with ear buds firmly in place. Why? Because listening to music helps distract you from the fact that you are tired and sweaty, that parts of your body are bouncing and flapping, and that you are surrounded by much thinner people doing the same thing as you but looking much more attractive while doing it. I put together playlists of everything from my old favorites to the latest and greatest, and looked forward to taking time out from life to enjoy them. I don't listen to music while running much anymore, but count it as one of the larger motivations that helped me get moving in the early, most critical days of my transformation.
Another motivation to get me off the couch and out the door has been my love of spending time in the "great outdoors", or at least our local version of it. From the beginning, I've mapped routes in places that have nice things to look at, like beaches, parks, and hills with views of the city. I've changed my routes and occasionally re-map them from time to time to increase distance and difficulty (and to find ones with drinking fountains and bathrooms), but tend to stick with routes that have some sort of nice view, even if it's just so I can take a picture of it when I'm out, post it on Facebook and say, "I'm out here and you're not. Nyah, nyah, nyah."
I've been at this fitness thing for nearly two years now. Wow! I've come such a long way that you'd think I would no longer need to look for motivations to keep going. I've got a reasonable plan and routine in place, stick to it fairly well, and enjoy it very much. Most days I feel good and don't have difficulty keeping up with my routine. And yet, there are those mornings that I just want to stay in bed, or if I plan to run after work, I'd really rather just stay in, watch TV and relax. It's not every day, but more often than I'd like to admit. What's the harm in missing a run here and there? Now, the human body does need to rest and recoup after running, in order to recover and repair any damage done. But if too much time is taken off, it's so easy to slip back into old habits. This is one of my biggest fears, knowing how I used to be and how easy it could be for me to go back to that if I gradually let my guard down. I can't let that happen and need motivation to keep me focused when I'm faced with those days when my get-up-and-go has got-up-and-went.
One of the things that helps me with this is to have friends who are runners. Talking to them about my progress and listening them talk about theirs (while never EVER comparing myself to them) helps me a great deal. You see, having someone to encourage you who understands what you are doing and why you are doing it is a very powerful motivation! I was really surprised to find how many people I know are runners. In my workplace alone I count a great many co-workers as fellow runners. They motivate me to keep going at my own pace, and I know that I couldn't have gotten as far as I have without having them around to talk to, commiserate with, and laugh about the inevitable pitfalls of participating in our chosen sport.
Another motivation to keep running is signing up for races. I run race distances up to half marathons, and have found that few things can get my butt out of bed at the crack of dawn for training runs on Saturday faster than knowing I've shelled out a sizable sum of $$$ to join an upcoming race. When you sign up and pay, it becomes real, and for sure you want to be ready when the day of the race arrives. You want to finish the thing of course, and you sure as heck don't want to come in last. For me racing has been a huge motivation to keep running my regular routes, looking forward to race day and seeing what I can do when I get out and cross the starting line.
Finally, for me the best motivation of them all has been: RESULTS. This doesn't come into play until you have been going at your chosen plan for some time, but once it starts to kick in, it really goes a long way toward keeping you going. What kind of results? For me it has been losing the weight, of course. Every time I get on the scale and see the number has dropped, it boosts my morale and makes me excited for the next time I can get out there and walk, jog, and now, run. And whenever the number goes up....OOOOOPS...it boosts my resolve to get back on track and stop slacking. Even at this point when I'm reaching the end of my weight loss quest, that still motivates me the same as it did from the first few weeks I was at it. Losing weight is harder now, but I still have the same desire and am still working toward it because I look forward to the day when I can finally say, "I did it! I made it! I reached my goal!" And more than any other motivation, that is what gets me out on the road on a weeknight after a long day at work, or up early on a Saturday, out the door in the dark, and off down the LA river to the marina, the beach and back.
What it comes down to is this. I have accomplished some pretty crazy things this past couple years, but it hasn't been easy. I'm still always fighting to stay on track and find motivations to keep going. The ultimate result and greatest motivation for me now is that I'm at the point where I am capable of doing more than I ever thought possible before. Yup, folks, it turns out the sky's the limit, and I'm proof that all you have to do is decide to reach for it. You may be like I was, wanting to lose weight and be healthy. Maybe you want to see what you are capable of, or just want to learn something new. Whatever you want to do, just decide to stop putting it off. Get started, do the best you can, find your motivations, and you will be surprised at what you can do. I know I was!
Thanks again for reading! Until next time... :)
