motivation

Just a Few More Minutes…

/ Sloan / 2 Comments

Today was one of those mornings. One of those mornings that I planned on getting up and getting to the gym early. I planned on doing walking lunges, squats, kicks…I basically planned on kicking my lower body’s ass. But today was one of those days that I woke up 10 minutes before my alarm and reset for an hour from then. Then woke up 10 minutes before that alarm and did the same thing. I struggled to get out of bed, I didn’t even make coffee right away. It was one of those mornings I could have easily stayed in bed until work beckoned and I dragged my un-showered self to go sell shoes.

 

Instead, I forced my shoes on and laced up unwillingly. I walked out my front door with sleep still in the corners of my eyes, restarted my watch and started running. If I can go for 10 minutes, I can go for 30, that was this morning’s mantra, and it worked!

 

I’ve known for awhile that I generally can force myself to get out and exercise even in the most horrible conditions: weather, sickness, injury… rarely keeps me from getting out there. Now it’s time to take this mantra and use it in other aspects of my life, other goals I have for myself. It only takes a few minutes to start something and a few more moments to keep going at it. Starting is always more than half the battle for me—finishing is easy and is just a matter of pushing through.

Nothing is better than progression.

/ Sloan / 2 Comments

 I am suffocated and lost when I have not the bright feeling of progression.
Margaret Fuller

Last week I led the Ladies Group Run that leaves from my store; it was my first time leading it and the girls that came along were a perfect balance of what I needed. One girl was super chatty and kinda fast, (me? not so much, I’m a good listener and slow running partner,) the other was quiet and a bit slower than me. So it was basically a Sloan sandwich up the trails of decent conversation about what we do, why we run, what we were hungry for for dinner…etc.

One of the girls had never run for more than 30 minutes. The group runs are typically an hour and I, some how, after fitting her for shoes that afternoon, convinced her to come back that evening for the run. As we climbed the final climb, taking those little steps that seem so inefficient but are necessary to make it to the top, I called the new girl out. I told her now that she’s done this run she knows she can do it, there for she can’t give up the next time she tries. (And I made her promise to try again soon.)

This girl could see herself progress, which is really one of the best feeling ever. We can only accomplish progression by ourselves, it’s you that pushed yourself to finish and so you only have yourself to thank! (How cool is that?!) She was so stoked and proud of herself, I could see her smiling at what she had just accomplished.

At the end of the run we all exchanged e-mail addresses, promised to get another run in soon. Sometimes seeing someone else push themselves is just enough motivation to jump back on the band wagon of pushing yourself. I love absorbing motivation from other people and using it for my own benefit—I feel myself progressing and it’s amazing.

Unable to do What I Want

/ Sloan / 1 Comment

 

I don’t want to run. I don’t want to go to the gym. I don’t really feel like doing much of anything. I’ve been stupid sick the last week and it’s not only left me feeling weak it’s left me feeling like even if I wanted to go work out hard I couldn’t lift a single bar bell or run a mile.

 

What a horrible feeling.

 

But sometimes I think being forced, as I have been, to take some time off can be a good thing. It’s made me appreciate my body and all it is (or was and will be again) capable of. Just because I hurt now doesn’t mean I won’t bounce back. I’m definitely on the mend and ready to work out hard… tomorrow.

 

One more day of rest. My body needs it, I’m sure. The plan is to kick it’s butt tomorrow at the gym and then get some longer/slower runs in this week. Ease my way back to normal life.

 

In the mean time I’ve become sorta famous. Well, no, not famous. But in my efforts to coach a 5k training group the local news decided to follow us and then feature me, YES ME, in a short video on how to prepare for a race, how to get fit for shoes and even how to cross train.

 

Check it, yo.

Click HERE