If you follow my blog on Facebook then you probably already know that I love motivational quotes and pictures. I get most of them from other Facebook pages (mostly I ❤ to Run or MotivateHopeStrength) or from Pinterest. Since this is the first week of my training for the Nike Women’s Half Marathon, I thought I would take the time to share some of my favorite motivational pictures to get the week started!
My all time favorite!
What are some of your favorite motivational quotes?
I’ll be honest, I am in the very beginning stages of learning to love the treadmill. In all reality I pretty much loathe it. For clarification purposes….. I L-O-A-T-H-E the treadmill! I try to trick my brain into liking it by calling it cute names like the happymill or the thrillmill but let’s face it, it’s still the dreadmilll.
I find the treadmill to be incredibly boring. It doesn’t matter if I watch TV or listen to music, I still find myself thinking that stabbing myself in the eye with a sharp object would be a less painful undertaking. My longest run I have ever done on a treadmill was 10 miles. That was TOUGH! Even the treadmill thought that I should have thrown in the towel as it turned itself off after 60 minutes. But I was training for my first half marathon and I was determined to get my long run in despite the snow storm that was brewing outside.
Now that it is Summer in Michigan, I am dealing with a whole different kind of weather debacle. Heat and humidity! I like running outside when it is warm but 80 degrees is my cut off point. Lately it has been in the 90’s and that is just not smart running weather. My choices are either to get up early in the morning to run (I already get up at 5am for work so that is not an option) or to enter into a truce with the treadmill. Obviously I have picked the latter option.
Knowing the tumultuous history the treadmill and I have had with each other, I knew that I needed to do something to dull the boredom of it and get me on the path of at least liking if not loving the treadmill.
Here are my 4 tried and true tactics to take the boredom out of running on the treadmill.
1. Race on the treadmill – Find an open treadmill next to a runner and race them. The person doesn’t even need to know that you are racing them but if you are competitive like I am, that will be enough to get you through your miles.
2. Speed Work – Speed work is very simple to do on the treadmill and it helps break up the run!
3. Hill work – Again another thing that is easy to do on the treadmill and it helps break up the monotony. The Nike Women’s half marathon is just about 4 months away and it is rumored to be hilly. The heat is a great opportunity for me to start training for hills!
4. Get in the zone – Pick a spot on the wall or some other stationary object in front of you and just get lost in your running. This is easier for me to do on the treadmill than outside as I tend to get distracted by the sounds and sights of the outside world and it is important to be aware of what is happening around you when you run outside. Running on a treadmill frees me of those responsibilities. I would like to think I look focused when I do this but I may just look possessed.
So what about you? Do you love or loathe the treadmill? What are some ways you beat the boredom of treadmill running?
Just in case you are not connected with me on Facebook or Twitter, I got some big news last week! I won the lottery! Well, the lottery for the Nike Women’s Marathon that is!
I am super excited! This will be my third half marathon and my first ever trip to California! I love using races as an excuse to travel!
I’ve already started checking into hotels and airfare. I may need to win the ACTUAL lottery in order to afford this trip. Geesh! But I figure, I have 6 months to plan and save for it. I can do it! Right?!?!
I am hoping to make a mini vacation out of this destination race.
I can’t wait to see this.
And ride this.
And go here.
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
And lots more stuff!
I will also get to meet this girl! And run another race with one of my Tough Mudder team mates!
It’s guaranteed to be a good time! Especially since I learned two very valuable lessons from my race in Vegas. 1) Do not walk all over the place the night before the race. 2) Do not ignore my “no drinking the night before a race” rule.
Have you been to San Francisco? What are some things that I must do while I am there???
Or do you have any tips about competing in destination races?
Guess what???
Registration for the Nike Women’s Marathon opens on April 9th! ***Insert your choice of happy dance here!*** You probably already know that I REALLY REALLY REALLY want to get into this race. It’s in San Francisco with a bunch of kick ass women runners. The finisher’s medal is a Tiffany’s necklace which is given out by Fire Fighters wearing tuxedos. And it is an oppurtunity to meet some friends in real life that I have only met through various social media platforms! What could be better than all of this?!?!
Now I just need the Nike Running Gods to smile upon us so my group gets selected in the lottery. Yep, it’s one of those races. We register and then play the waiting game to see if our lucky number is drawn. We should know by the end of April whether we get in or not. *Sigh* More waiting….
I think you should join my group and run this race with me and my friends! Yes, you! If you are interested let me know and I will send you the registration info so that you can be included in the group. Luckily entering as a group means that it is everyone or no one that gets in. And gals AND guys are welcome to join!!!
I think my Wordless Wednesday post was pretty easy to figure out last week.
If you guessed that I added another race to my race schedule, you are correct! You may remember that I did the Dirty Dog Dash in Hell last year. This year I will not be in Hell, but I will definitely be enjoying 3 fun filled miles of mud and obstacles! Here is the course from last year. I am guessing it will be pretty similar this year and I am pretty excited to tackle this course in June!
In addition to the Dirty Dog Dash, I have also signed up to do the Run Like A Mother 5k. I am super excited about this race for two reasons! The first is that it will be my running friend’s first race EVER! I am super stoked that I get to pace her through her first race. And the second reason I am excited is because the apartment complex I live in is the sponsor of the race and the race begins right outside my front door! How cool is that?!?!? After the race, my apartment complex holds a barbecue for all the runners and their families in celebration of Mother’s Day. Did I pick an awesome place to live or what???
I am still waiting on pins and needles for the lottery to open up for the Nike Women’s Marathon. I really really really really want to get into that race. And no, it’s not just because I want a fireman in a tuxedo to give me a Tiffany’s finishers necklace. No . . .. who needs any of that??? LOL
So as of now, this is what my race schedule looks like for 2012.
3/25 – Rock CF Rivers Half Marathon Relay
4/14 – Tough Mudder
5/12 – Run Like A Mother 5k
6/9 – Dirty Dog Dash
7/29 – Warrior Dash
I still need to sign up for a “normal” 5k so I can rock that PR goal that I set for myself this year!!!
Have you added any new races to your race schedule for 2012? I want to hear about them!
The Everyday Warrior 