Things have improved quite a bit this past week. And when I say “things” I’m really referring to just one thing: Motivation.
I realized, with the help of a very wise brother, that most people don’t work out because it’s fun. They do it because they should. Because it’s good for their bodies and minds. Because they are training to achieve goals they’ve set for themselves. Obviously, it’s ideal that you’d find workouts that you like because it makes it more enjoyable and easier to stick to, but working out just for the sake of working out is generally not fun for most people.
I am one of those people.
Sure, when I’m going to work out there are things that I like doing more than others – running, most notably – but as I’ve discovered this past month, I don’t like it enough to want to do it with the frequency needed to keep my fitness level where I want it. I now know I also need the… pressure, for lack of a better word… of training to reach a particular goal.
To that end, I’ve registered for a 5k on June 26, and my goal for this race is to finally break 30 minutes for a race of this distance. I believe I’ve done it once or twice during training for the half, but never for a precisely timed race, so I can’t say for sure. I was only about 30 seconds too slow at the Race for the Cure on May 9, so I think if I push a little more and do a bit of speedwork beforehand (which I’ve never really done) I should be able to make it.
I’ve also scheduled a weekly run with a new running buddy, N-Cat, which keeps me committed to running at the very least once a week. (And if I want to be able to keep up with her, I know I’ll have to get out there on my own a few times each week, too!)
Just talking about my troubles with motivation last week has helped me identify the problem and come up with possible solutions to help me get past it. So far, so good, too: I’ve already upped my run frequency by about 300% from the week before and I have to say that my outlook overall is significantly improved.
Maybe it’s because of all of the Vitamin D I’m making out there in the sun :)
Thanks to everyone for their input! And Rachel: I’m seriously considering your suggestion to attempt a change-up by doing P90X with you. We shall see!
