Motivation

[katieandalex]

I'm just starting into running. My sister and her husband are doing the Couch to 5K program and she talked me into starting it as well.


My question is, when all of you started, how did you keep yourself motivated? Thats my hardest thing when I start a workout routine is keeping myself motivated to go to the fitness center and actually do the workout.
In the town I live in, every year they have a Bix 3 or 5 mile run. Last year after the Bix, I said I wanted to run in it this next year...and I haven't even started training for it. I have a while, but since I said I wanted to do it...why not actually try to get there to do it?

[KMS]

Sign up for the race as soon as you can!!! I had it in my mind that I was going to train for and run a half marathon last year. I could NOT get motivated so I payed for the race and told everybody that I was going to do it so there was no turning back! I did it about 3 weeks ago and it was one of the best experiences of my life. Good luck...you can do it!

[woohoo2me]

reward your self with a pedi!! all that running, your feet deserve it:D

[Jenn060306]

I found that after i pushed myself to go workout a couple times a week for 2 weeks that if i didn't go i just didn't feel right. I think if you can get to the point where you don't feel right if you don't go you will keep going. Set small goals for yourself as well. So when you obtain them you will feel really good about it and be energized to keep at it!
Best of Luck!

[katieandalex]

Thanks girls. I got a few responses on the CoolRunning forums as well. And 2 of them that have really helped is posting what I've been doing on a blog so I can see everything that I'm done, and also putting a sticker on the calender everytime I workout so I can see at a glance how much I've done already so I don't give up.

[Jacklynn]

My mom gave up smoking 4 years ago, and started walking on the tredmill (from being pretty inactive). Shae just completed her first marathon in October (26.2 miles). She said that eventually she just got so in the routine that it wasn't something that she felt like she HAD to do. She's typically in a grouchy mood if she doesn't get her run in now :) If you would have asked me four years ago if she would be a runner, I would be like uhh no.

Btw... my mom's goal was to run a 1/2 marathon (13.1 miles) by the time she was 40. She now has ran 2 1/2 marathons and 1 whole marathon and she won't be 40 until March. (yes shes young lol).

She goes on a website called runnersworld.com there are runner forums on there from walkers to advance marathon runners.

I hope you can find some motivation there!

[KMS]

Oh yeah, Runner's World is awesome. Both the magazine & the forum are so helpful & inspiring. I never thought about doing a blog about my running training. I just may start to do that as soon as I get over my leg injury and can start running again. See you posted a thread asking for motivation tips & now you're giving them! :D

[katieandalex]

Oooh I'll have to check our runnersworld.com! Thanks for the link.