Motivators...

Days like this make it hard to get up and workout (this was taken this morning)…. especially when I was hoping to get outside:

I love the way I feel after a workout, but often I forget how important that feeling is when I'm trying to get up in the morning or when I'm facing a long run on the treadmill. I've resorted to a few tricks to try and get me out of bed in the morning-- no laughing at them! As I review them some seem a little ridiculous...

1. Reading the book "Run Like a Mother" before bed.... I love the authors of this book and their contributors! Now I've moved onto the book Sole Sisters, hopefully it's just as motivating.

2. Placing my Monster 1/2 marathon finisher medal on my nightstand (I need to move it to hit "snooze")

3. My alarm clock is set 20 minutes ahead... I know this and I always do the math but the later number makes me feel better when I get up.

4. Keeping my Monster 1/2 marathon timing chip on my shoe (it's just a small reminder of how far I've come and the condition I want to stay in)

5. Planning or thinking about our dinner menu when I get out of bed. Usually dinner is my most caloric meal, and in order to be able to eat those I need to find a way to offset them.

6. Continuously updating on my running playlists... and I don't allow myself to listen to my running playlists when I'm at work.... only running!

7. Allowing myself to watch certain programs only on our TV in the basement (only way you can watch is when on a treadmill, bike or elliptical). The biggest loser is my favorite, but I'm also starting the show Brother's and Sisters. The key for me is moving past a 1/2 hour show.

8. Today for my long run on the treadmill I watched TV with subtitles while wearing my ipod.. I was able to hit 7 miles, the storyline and motivating music made it actually pretty enjoyable.

9. Workout gear. I've purchased a few items that I love to wear, are comfortable and are very user friendly for working out. I found that when I didn't like my shorts because they bunched, or my running shoes weren't comfortable, etc. it really seemed to have an effect on my workout, so I decided when I started running again to make the investment and buy a couple of key pieces.

10. Garmin Connect. This is a site that collects the data from my Garmin and keeps me honest. It tells me my heart rate, time and distance on every outdoor run and my time and heart for indoor runs. I analyzing love data, so it's not a surprise that it's really exciting for me to go back and see how far I've come based on my Garmin data.

“You must be the change you wish to see in the world."

I recently found this story on another runner's blog and it really struck a chord with me...

During the 1930s, a young boy had become obsessed with eating sugar. His mother decided to travel take him to Gandhi who was highly revered across the country - perhaps his instruction could convince her son to cut back on sugar.
“My son has horrible eating habits,” she said. “Please, he will listen to you if you tell him to stop eating foods with so much sugar.”
Gandhi listened sympathetically. “I ask that you come back next week and make the request again.”
The mother agreed and returned seven days later. “My son’s problem continues,” she said. “I am greatly concerned about his health. He rarely eats vegetables or fruits. Please, won’t you talk to him about the danger of eating too much sugar.”
“Please, come back and see me in a week,” he said simply.
Though the mother was disappointed, she left and returned one week later. Once again she made her pleas. This time he agreed to talk with her son.
When the conversation was completed, the mother thanked Gandhi. “I am grateful that you took the time to talk to my son, but I don’t understand why it took three requests for you to do so.”
He looked at the woman and said, “I didn’t realize how hard it would be for me to give up sugar.”

One of Gandhi's most famous quotations is
“You must be the change you wish to see in the world."

This story really motivates me to get outside each day-- I want Soren and Kaia to grow up in a home where healthy food and an active lifestyle are the norm.