Today I attended my first meeting of the "Runners Who Lost Their Motivation" (RWLTM) club. True, I was the only person in attendance, but sometimes admitting a problem intrinsically is the first step to finding a "cure".
How did I lose my motivation for really running fast in training or especially in races after 30 years? I'm not entirely sure. For most of this year I believed I was training the right way, at least to succeed in anything from the mile to a 5k. But really my weekly miles were low and biking way less than the previous three years. Weightlifting is going well, though no one but me can tell as I never have and evidently never will get muscles that pop out, even if I am stronger.
Maybe training for months two or more times a day to be able to complete the Tinman Half-Iron distance last summer and then the Marine Corps Marathon took a mental toll. I know last winter was waste as I didn't snowshoe once.
So, what are the steps involved in the RWLTM cure? Unlike the 12 step Alcoholics Anonymous program, there are 10 steps!
10. Admit to others that I have a problem (done)
9. Desire to train hard again (work in progress)
8. A power greater than myself will help in getting me re-motivated (Jan, Mike W., Lou, ...etal)
7. Learn to run again even on days when I'm tired, thereby building an aerobic base.
6. Embrace quotes such as; "If I'm standing at the end of the race, hit me with a board and knock me down, because that means I didn't run hard enough." --Steve Jones, former marathon world record holder
5.Losing weight, for real. 6'1" and 176 might be light for normal people, but is ten pounds more than I need to be to run fast.
4.Stop using age as an excuse. Forget about my times during my 30's or 40's, I was faster on snowshoes five years ago in a mile race than I am now running on the track.
3.Made an inventory of my training log over the past 10 months and can see where I've failed and need to improve.
2.The need to find a goal race and time to focus on. (Race with Grace 10k - Thanksgiving)
1. Stay injury free (which I have thankfully done well at this year)
That's it, the RWLTM cure. If you are suffering from this mental disorder, don't give up, there is always a chance you, too, can recover.
The Erie Canal, Running Paradise
Showing posts with label motivation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label motivation. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
Monday, July 9, 2012
What Next?
It's always difficult to finish a major race and find the motivation to keep training at a decent level, and for some people to train at all. There has to be some mental and physical down time. But, depending on how you did in the race, it's not always easy to convince yourself that is exactly what needs to be done. This is especially true if the race was a long event, like a half-marathon to ironman distance.
What if you fell short of a goal time? Do you pick up training where you left off and look for another race? Once I ran the Marine Corps Marathon missing the Boston qualifying time by 63 seconds. A week later I felt pretty good, was desperate for a BQ time and signed up for the Philadelphia marathon. Three weeks to "train". In hindsight Philly was a good race for me, but I fell apart around mile 19 and missed qualifying by 8 minutes.
Eight days ago I completed a goal race, the Tinman half-ironman. My finishing time was about 30 minutes slower than the slowest I thought possible, but I am still proud of myself. All sorts of thoughts go through my head; do I spend six months next year or the year after and try again, hoping for a better time? It's always a crap shoot for the weather, staying healthy, and even if I cut 30 minutes off my time, so what? I'd finish in the top 30% of my age group instead of 50%? I can't find the motivation to think about that.
The immediate goal now is running the Marine Corps Marathon in 16 weeks. It's great to have a plan in place, not fall into some depression because I don't know what to do next. Exercise needs to be a continuous life-long process. Having goals helps keep you motivated, whether it's the local 5k, a sprint tri, trail running, or incorporating a race with travel plans. It doesn't even have to be running. Sacrilege, I know, but the body was meant to move, not blob out at a desk, behind the computer or in front of the television.
What if you fell short of a goal time? Do you pick up training where you left off and look for another race? Once I ran the Marine Corps Marathon missing the Boston qualifying time by 63 seconds. A week later I felt pretty good, was desperate for a BQ time and signed up for the Philadelphia marathon. Three weeks to "train". In hindsight Philly was a good race for me, but I fell apart around mile 19 and missed qualifying by 8 minutes.
Eight days ago I completed a goal race, the Tinman half-ironman. My finishing time was about 30 minutes slower than the slowest I thought possible, but I am still proud of myself. All sorts of thoughts go through my head; do I spend six months next year or the year after and try again, hoping for a better time? It's always a crap shoot for the weather, staying healthy, and even if I cut 30 minutes off my time, so what? I'd finish in the top 30% of my age group instead of 50%? I can't find the motivation to think about that.
The immediate goal now is running the Marine Corps Marathon in 16 weeks. It's great to have a plan in place, not fall into some depression because I don't know what to do next. Exercise needs to be a continuous life-long process. Having goals helps keep you motivated, whether it's the local 5k, a sprint tri, trail running, or incorporating a race with travel plans. It doesn't even have to be running. Sacrilege, I know, but the body was meant to move, not blob out at a desk, behind the computer or in front of the television.
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