Finding "The Force" to Run

image from Google

As much as there are a LOT  of excuses one could think of (or one legitimately has!) to skip running/training or to finally begin with running, there is a much longer list of  how to motivate yourself to run, and keep yourself motivated.

Truly.

I won't list down the excuses I feel, I  "legitimately" have every day, nor the excuses that my left brain has nagged me (and keeps on nagging me!).

Excuses, which sadly successfully broke me down in the past until I gave in, resulting to more than a few painful experiences in my races and running.

This would be very counter-productive!

Nope. Not going to give my left brain further satisfaction, than it already has.

Instead, I will share, focus and highlight what keeps me motivated.

Below are my top 5 of how I keep myself motivated on days I feel very low on #LoveRunning positive energy.

I chose to share 5 because it equals the distance (5K) I ran in my first race.  A distance most aspiring would-be runners aim/train for, when they begin with running.

It can be considered a "relatively short" distance but when one is simply beginning (or returning to running after a break), the effort equals running a marathon in one's mind.

Perhaps, I will be sharing more sources of motivation every Friday. For now my top 5, mentioned in no special order. A baby step.

1. Recalling a great memory of a memorable run/race.

“Nothing is ever really lost to us as long as we remember it.”

― L.M. Montgomery, The Story Girl

Many runners experience even after years of running: a struggle to begin.  A feeling as if one is literally in pain (all in the mind though!) while preparing to go out for a run.

This run maybe a "simple run" after a required pause due to injury, or stress in personal life, or a vacation.  Even when prepping for a race, one has trained for, one can struggle to go to run the race.

image from Google

When one has don on one's training/race gear, and is one step out of one's home, a huge step has already been made.

As soon as you are on the move for 5-10 minutes (10 minutes max. Promise!), you will be filled with gladness that you conquered yourself, and broke through the worst barrier you are confronted with: your own voice in your head that seems to constantly say, "Not today!".

Each run you will do, will one day be an accumulation of memories (see No. 3) you can fall back on , when you struggle.

Keeping this scenario in mind should be enough to animate you to run to create (great & unforgettable!) running memories.

YES, today!
This is what I told the voice in my head last June.
You would not see it from the look on my face on this photo but I struggled to go to our village local run - Driedorpenloop 2013 for many reasons.
There were many more great memories from this run ; I'm glad that I did not stay at home.
I ran one of my fastest pace continuously on this day.

2. Rewarding self OR accepting an unexpected reward.

image from Google

This varies for every runner.

I have a long list of ideas for personal rewards for running achievements or for reaching simple running goals.

Today I will share what for me is the most obvious reward, a runner can give herself/himself: a pair of new running shoes!

After a succesful year of continuous running (August 2011 - August 2012 : my first RUNniversary!), I rewarded myself with a new pair of running shoes.

My Nike Lunar Glide, bought September 2012

A few months later (December, 2012), I got a DM (direct message) via my @PaperInEurope Twitter inbox  from @NikeRunning.  They wrote, that they have noticed my runs, and I will be receiving a reward!

As promised, just in time for Spring Running (March, 2013)! I received these beauties:

3. Recording running adventures on different social media channels.


My story on No.2 of this list (just one of many rewarding stories!) will probably show you, when you simply go about your running business, record it, share it  (on your blog, on Facebook, Twitter, instragram, etc),  you will not only have a clear picture of how you are progressing  but in the process receive a pleasant surprise!

Happy Feet in the Netherlands FB page

@HappyFeetNL

Surprise gifts are awesome. 

What is more awesome are the great connection with others, whom you can meet through the various channels of social media. 

These connections are priceless.  These people who share your passion or respect you for your passion, can help you keep motivated if you allow yourself to be open to the connection.


4.  Give as much motivation, if not more as one receive.

A philosopy I learned through life experience. An age old wisdom: giving is better than receiving!

It is not only through the running community, that you can give and receive motivation but in daily life.  This topic deserves a blog in itself because of the magnitude of how it has positively influenced my personal view of life, and lives of many others.

Basically, the more you give positive support (energy) to others, without expectations the more energetic you will feel.

Below are the running pages of social running groups, where I met very good and supportive running friends for life.

Loopmaatjes FB Page

Running Junkies FB Page

5. Follow the running adventures of fellow runners & athletes you respect and admire.

Blogged : In the Presence of an Olympianleft: moi middle: Churandy Martina right: Udjen Lewis

As with No. 4 I need another post to write extensively about how I keep myself motivated by following the running adventures of athletes I admire, and fellow runners I am friends with in real life. 

Or those magnificent (running & non-running souls), whom I've met online and communicate with via their blogs.

In brief: we identify with the struggles and celebrate with the success of those who share our passion.

Knowing we are not alone, that even those who have achieved (world wide)  success in their field (what their passionate above!) struggles and overcome obstacles,  can keep us motivated towards having a positive attitude.  If they can conquer and achieve, so could we!

Whoever you are, wherever you may be, I wish you a great weekend, and leave you with the words of Yoda: May the Force (literally!) be with you (on your weekend training)!

Tuesday: Decision Time!

Well, at least the half of it!

I've come to a decision - a very hard one for me - that I have to give up on the #TRIOfor2013   project - running 3 full marathons within a year - as I had envisioned it (Paris-Luxembourg-Berlin).

This Sunday, instead of running the full marathon in Luxembourg, I'll be running the half because like in Paris, I was not able to prepare like I planned.  Now, I am facing the truth, I have to admit, that I am suffering from PTSD (you could read about the background: here); it is something I have to deal with counselling, and the simple admission is a relief.

I can go on and plan two alternative marathons, which I can prepare better for after I have seen the doctor to help me sleep better, and get my anxiety and panic attacks in check. 

Paris 2013- memorable first Spring marathon experience because of a beautiful course, and the fact that I almost gave up!
We went to Paris knowing, that I was not prepared to run the full, and I only wanted to at least run the half.
But half-way, I could not stop myself from finishing the full course.
It was sheer determination that made me finish the race with the knowledge, that I would not be on the official list, and not get a medal (and oh how I love getting medal).

I met many awesome runners along the way, who reminded me in the first place why I run:
to overcome hurdles I put in front of myself.
In the end I was not on the official list of finishers (minutes before I crossed the finish line, they took the mat to register my finishing time) but was graciously rewarded with the medal for finishing!

Berlin & Amsterdam aka My Back 2 Back Marathons 2012! I love these medals because they symbolize for me that you can realize dreams if you: believe and work hard to achieve it.

Yes dear family, friends, fellow running enthusiast, and loyal followers, and those I have yet to meet - I am not that stubborn, reckless and crazy as I seem to come over with my projects and how I execute them.

If you've read my Blogathon 2013 posts Day 1 - Introducing: This Runner, Day 2 - Drie Dorpenloop 2013: Running Home, Day 3 - This Runner: 22 Months Later, perhaps you will have a picture of who I am as a runner, why I run, and the what  motivates me to run, and my passion for marathons.

After the Luxembourg marathon weekend, I will reveal my two alternative marathons. I chose to do 2 - one to replace Luxembourg and the other Paris - to give me an official closure for the project; even though I finished Paris I am not on the offical list of finisher, and it nags on me. To silence the nagging, I'll try to replace it with a lot of running! :D

Drie Dorpenloop 2013 : Running 'Home'

Driedorpenloop

Finally, I was able to participate in the Drie Dorpenloop (literally Three Village Run) after missing it 2 years in a row! I've ran many parts of the Netherlands, went abroad to Germany and France, but  never managed to run our own village run. Well, that is a big check on my list of 'race, I would like to run'!

all race participants (7/12/21 km distance) run through the start twice (kilometer 2 of 7K race for me), that their supporters may get a second look! I like this idea!

big smile for P and his friend Kees, who we met spontaneously at the start and was there to support his friends as well

happy to greet them and feeling good even though I felt my legs were made of led!

Thanks to Pascal Maat, proprietor of Banden Maat I was able to run under "Team BandenMaat".  His company is one of the sponsors of this year's race.

We met via +Loopmaatjes @Twitter, during our preparation for our first Berlin Marathon. I did not realise until later, that we were practically neighbours, and that his business is located on the road that I pass with my bike almost everyday, on the way to bringing our girls to school.

Pascal shared a picture on Facebook of an article written about him and his running friend in a local newspaper, which I recognized while reading our own local newspaper.

an article from Triangle, October 2012 related Pascal's and his friend Alex's Berlin Marathon running goal for a good cause

Running world is very small indeed - specially, when you share your running passion in social media. :)

Liefste P, together with Littlest, joined me to meet up with Pascal, and the rest of "Team BandenMaat" at the Sporthal De Fuik.  There, we met his wife Wendy, who will be running the last 2 + km of the Luxembourg Marathon with Pascal (Pieter will be doing the same for me!).

Sporthal de Fuik

Littlest waiting for the 1K Kid's Run to commence

Below is a montage of images to capture the energy of the Driedorpenloop; I took them minutes before the Kid's Run begun and also, at the finish line with the first children, who succesfully ran their 1K.

I was pretty nervous because it is the first time that I ran a race in my "home ground".  Before the race, I was greeted everywhere by acquaintances  (mostly from the people we knew from the girl's school), and while running I faintly heard shouts, "Dat is de moeder van Littlest!" (That is the mommy of Littlest!).  Littlest being pretty popular in the school for being very social and engaging. She always come to everyone, and say, "Hi! I'm Littlest, what's your name?"

Now, baby steps for a short and sweet recap:

Driedorpenloop 2013 7K race course

The course was very familiar - I could've run it blindfolded! - because I've run it a lot during my first year of running, a definite advantage for someone, who stayed up way too late before a race,, and came to the race pretty much stressing unnecessarily.

I did worry,  that I might sink into a black hole of depression, if I did not go out and run this event.  This was a great motivation to not skip it, plus I did not want to disappoint Pieter, who is very proud of what I do, and my running friend Pascal, who graciously invited friends to be a part of this fun event.

If you are interested to see the course (for the 7/12/21 km) of Driedorpenloop in photo montages, I'll be dedicating a special blog series for this. Watch out!

The race pace was YAY! Average pace: 5:59 according to my Nike+ stats and 5:58 according to the official list of results! This is the first time I ever had that i.e. hold a 'fast pace'. I know, I know, nothing to rock the boat of more experienced and fast runners. But for me: weeeeeeeeee! :D

In June 2013 . . .(results of my 1st Driedorpenloop below, via Uitslagen.NL)

2013 - Average Pace: 10.05 km/hr 5:58 min/km

In August, 2011 . . .(results of my 1st race - first 5K! - ever, after 20 days or training)

2011 - Average Pace: 6.67 km/hr 8:59 min/km

The verdict - I'll run this event again next year, and it would be for the half-marathon, that I can enjoy the experience longer. This race is highly recommended to runners, who enjoy running in the country side, and a good event to set a PR. It was well organized, and much awaited event in the region.

Image courtesy of Kees Poppes

A good day. :)