My Love/Hate Relationship with Running

I firmly believe that you need to find a form of exercise that you like enough that it will keep you doing it. If you don't enjoy your chosen activity, the chances of continuing it for any sustained length of time is pretty small. You may need to switch it up now and then to keep it interesting and keep your muscles guessing, but you should always ENJOY what you are doing.

I live this theory in all my fitness activities...except running. After two and a half years I STILL don't love running. I have yet to experience the "runner's high" that people talk about. Once in a while, around the 40 minute mark, I do find that it's all a bit easier and I forget JUST how much I hate it, but there has to be more to this illusive "high" than that, right? However, I DO love the feeling of finishing a run - the stretching, the exhaustion, the sore muscles, the warm shower and even the agony of the foam rolling. 

The one part of running that I do enjoy (apart from when it ends) is participating in races. The running pretty much still sucks, but I love the energy of the crowd, the cheering supporters and of course - the bling. I have no delusions that I will ever place, and I don't necessarily even compete against myself to continually better my time. I register to get out there, and to give myself motivation to keep training. Yes, it is nice when I beat my previous time, but it's not a necessity. 

There are 4 key things that keep me going, or at least play a big part in it. Without these elements included I don't know that I would ever get out there. 

1. Music. Without my playlist pumping through my earbuds with a delicate volume balance somewhere between drowning out my steps and breathing and  allowing me to hear traffic and other noises, I would be in hell. Mr Awesome is a DJ and he has mixed my playlist and made every single song the same bpm (beats per minute) as my running cadence so it's seamless between songs and I keep the same pace the whole time. 
2. Race registrations. I always have a race in the future, registered and committed to, to give me added accountability. My next race is the January 1 Resolution Run 5k in Vancouver, and then two weeks later Mr Awesome and I are off to Anaheim for the runDisney Star Wars Half Marathon. 2015 marks my 40th birthday and the plan is to run this one in January in California and then the Wine & Dine half in Orlando in November for my birthday. That qualifies you for an extra medal for what they call the Coast to Coast challenge. That brings me to my next motivator...
3. Bling and swag. I have to admit, it there's not good swag or a medal, I'm not likely to participate. I have a medal hanger in our bedroom and proudly display all my race medals. The Resolution Run actually comes with a free running jacket! 
4. My family. Whether Mr Awesome is in the race with me or waiting with the kids at the finish line, having that support means everything. The kids come running with me sometimes, and are pretty stoked at the plan to run in the family 5k at the runDisney Wine & Dine Half Marathon weekend in November 2015. 

The weird thing is that even thought I don't like it, I find myself craving it. I see people out running and wish I was out there too. A beautiful cool sunny day has me thinking about how great it would be to go for a run. Clearly I have lost my mind. 

I will keep running. And perhaps one day I will learn to love it. 

Maybe. 

A Look Back at 2014 Goals

Back in January 2014 I wrote a post about my goals for this year. I was clearly in a running-love phase, as there was a LOT of running. My main three goals were:

1. Run in 10 events (including 2 half marathons)
2. Run 500 miles 
3. Complete Focus T25 Beta and Gamma rounds

I have completed 6 out of 10 running events. I have run nowhere near 500 miles, and although I completed T25 Beta, I did not get to Gamma. 

Do I feel like I failed by not achieving these targets? NO. 

I have run 320 miles so far this year, and that is INSANE compared to where my running was 2.5 years ago - which was exactly ZERO. 

I also began doing Beachbody programs, which has led me on a completely new and amazing part of my fitness journey. This year I have done Focus T25, PiYo, P90 and Les Mills Pump, plus I've dabbled in a few others like Hip Hop Abs and Les Mills COMBAT, which are great for switching things up. 

I became a Team Beachbody coach, which I LOVE. I originally signed up as a way to cover the cost of the programs and the Shakeology we drink every day, with a goal to break even by the end of the year. I started a motivational fitness group on Facebook and as people began to try the programs and Shakeology it became clear very quickly that being a coach a SO much more than just a way to break even. I have a passion for helping people achieve their fitness goals and I can use my experience as a way to support and motivate them. People are seeing success and achieving their goals and it is AMAZING to be a part of it! My business is growing and while I don't have any intention of it replacing my "career" job, I have no doubt Beachbody will help pay for things like a new mini van, our family vacations, home renos and more. 

So...my running has gone a bit off the rails and I am scared as hell to be running the runDisney Star Wars Half Marathon in just THREE WEEKS with limited training, but this year has been AMAZING. I am more fit than I have ever been, and more motivated than ever before.

Bring on 2015, I am READY!! 

The Key Ingredients

You can have all the equipment, the snazzy new workout gear, the DVDs or gym pass, the water bottle marked out by the hour to ensure consumption, only healthy food in your fridge...and you will probably go hard and stay committed for the first few weeks. Then you might start to falter. 

What is missing?

Two of the key ingredients in lasting success when it comes to fitness goals are SUPPORT & ACCOUNTABILITY. 

A workout buddy, a personal trainer, even just committing to a workout publicly can give you accountability. You also need cheerleaders - people that will lift you up and keep you going through the hills and valleys of your journey. Whether this comes from your significant other, your circle of friends or co-workers - or a circle of people online that have come together to motivate and inspire one another.

When I was going through the initial "pre-goal" phase of my weight loss, I had an incredible network of people supporting me - I still do. I started this blog and its subsequent Facebook page to make my journey public as added accountability. It's been phenomenal, but what has really kicked things into high gear has been creating a private motivational group on Facebook.

Team Fit & Focused is a group of people all interested in living healthier lives, all at different stages of achieving their fitness goals. We support, motivate, encourage and inspire one another to keep going. We share struggles and successes. We do monthly challenges, "pop-up" challenges, share recipes, inspirational quotes...anything and everything to keep us on track towards our targets, whatever they may be.

An extension of this team are the challenge groups I run for specific programs. Everyone in the private group is doing the same program on the same timeline. They ask questions, post their workouts, share challenges with tricky moves, and generally just support each other through the 21, 30, 60 or 90 days of the program. At home workouts become a group experience. They are not doing the program alone, they have a whole team behind them helping them succeed.

Whether you start your own group or join an existing one, I absolutely encourage you to add this "tool" to your fitness tool kit. I am accountable to my team both to stay on track with my own fitness, and to help keep my team-mates on track. I have never felt so inspired or committed in the five years since I began this journey.

Do you need some added accountability and support to help you achieve your health and fitness goals? Email me or message me on Facebook to join our team!