Finding Motivation

There are times for every runner when, for unexpected reasons, you go on a little hiatus from running.  After only a couple days, it's pretty easy to get back on the horse (as it were) and get back into a regular running routine.  However, if that couple of days turns into several days...a week...two weeks...it gets harder and harder to get back out there and go for a run.

That's kind of what I'm experiencing right now, and it's definitely having an upsetting affect on me.  During Cross Country season, I had an automatic run built into my day.  But now that the season is over, I'm finding it harder to get my runs in for two reasons:
1) there was an extra motivation to run because I was running with a group and didn't have to try to motivate myself, and
2) now that the season is over, my students have been staying after school to utilize me for extra help with math, and so by the time I leave school every night, it's already dark...and it's one thing to run alone as a woman during the day, it's a completely different thing to run alone as a woman after dark.

So, I've decided that what I need to get myself back into running (granted, it's only been 2 and a half weeks since my last run, but still, for me, that seems like a long time) is to get back into a regular running group.  And after doing a little research, I found just the thing I was looking for...and along with it, my N.Y.R. (New Year's Resolution) for 2012!   The Fleet Feet Store in Bonney Lake is having a Marathon and Half Marathon Training group starting in January.

Included in your registration fee are USATF Certified coaches to train you, biweekly runs with the group, online daily interactive training and coaching, clinics on good form running, nutrition and fitlosophy, a technical running shirt, and the best part of all...(drum roll please)...entrance into the Tacoma City Marathon!

For a while now, I've been intrigued by the idea of running another marathon (I ran the Portland Marathon back in 2007), but I wasn't sure if I could train for another one on my own like I did the last time.  But with a group, I know that I'd have the motivation to train because I'd feel like if I skipped a workout, I wouldn't just be letting myself down, but I'd also be letting the group down.  So since I was considering running the TCM with the Training Group, I started looking around their website for course map, elevation chart, things like that, and came across the fact that this particular marathon is a USATF Certified course...and therefore a Boston Marathon Qualifier!

Ever since I got into running, it's been a dream of mine to someday qualify for Boston.  When I started running with the cross country kids this season and my mile time started significantly dropping toward the end of the season, it occurred to me that this was probably the perfect year to attempt this goal.  I'm in the best running shape I've ever been in, and if I diligently stick with this training program, I can only get better.  Plus, with coaches there to help me learn how to keep a consistent pace, I'll stand an even better chance of getting myself prepared enough to qualify.  Now I'm not saying this isn't going to be an extremely huge challenge...there's a reason that not every runner out there can run Boston...it's friggin' hard as hell to qualify for.  In fact for my age group (females 18-34) the qualifying time is 3 hours 35 minutes, which averages out to just under 8:30 pace.  Now, just a couple weeks ago, I was averaging 7:53 pace...but that was only for 3 miles.  I need to somehow learn to maintain that for another 23.2 miles in order to reach my goal, but hey, at least it's a start.

So, it's official, my 2012 N.Y.R. is to train for and run the Tacoma City Marathon in a time that will qualify me for the 2013 Boston Marathon!

Have you ever gone on a hiatus from running and lost your motivation to get back out there?  What eventually lured you back?