In Search of Motivation

I’ve mentioned before that I coach a 10k running clinic, right? During our weekly talks, a question that often comes up is “How much should I run?” Outside of their outlined training schedule provided by the clinic and the standard recommendation of 30 minutes of exercise most days, there’s no real right answer. Is 5k three times a week good? They ask me. Is 10k a good distance?

It’s a very personal journey, I always tell them. Getting out and getting moving is the most important thing. But finding the motivation to get you moving is equally important.

As much as I love running (and I do) and as good as I feel when I’m feeling fit and strong, I slip off the fitness track easily. If I don’t have a goal race in my near future (I’m talking four to five months ahead), I find that I start skipping runs. I know this about myself, I know that races are what keeps me on the road (or in the water, on my bike and on the road, lately).

Beyond the motivation, though, comes support. And without a strong support team, it becomes very hard to achieve goals. My husband, for example, happily watches the kids every Sunday morning. Often we tag-team to get our runs or bike rides in. When I ran my first marathon last fall, he was my road crew, driving beside me for as much of the route as he could. There’s my parents, too, who are our “race day babysitters”. They’re also my most devoted fans, which means more than I think they know.

What about you? What is your motivation? What keeps you lacing up your kicks run after run?