by Andy Croley
Have you ever thought, “I could actually get in some great training runs if my job, family, and other events would stop getting in the way?”
Have you ever thought, “I could actually get in some great training runs if my job, family, and other events would stop getting in the way?”
Working a 50+ hour weeks, spending precious time with my wife and kids, keeping up on home projects and yard work, etc., sure do make it hard to fit in time to run or to even maintain the energy to put on my running shoes and get my butt out the door. Motivation is key for runners. The space between our ears may be just as important as our feet.
Now throw another factor into the mix: Heat and Humidity. I remember the great summer mornings in Portland, Oregon, when I could run for miles and barely break a sweat. Now that I reside in St. Louis, I find it hard to peel off the “dry-fit” shirt when I return home from a short 3-miler. Before each summer run, my mind tells me to check the temperature and humidity using an app on my phone and then the voices in my head try to tell me to stay inside, open up a tub of ice cream, grab the remote, and enjoy some relaxation. Unfortunately the pair of Saucony’s at the front door don’t have a voice to counter those in my head.
Now throw another factor into the mix: Heat and Humidity. I remember the great summer mornings in Portland, Oregon, when I could run for miles and barely break a sweat. Now that I reside in St. Louis, I find it hard to peel off the “dry-fit” shirt when I return home from a short 3-miler. Before each summer run, my mind tells me to check the temperature and humidity using an app on my phone and then the voices in my head try to tell me to stay inside, open up a tub of ice cream, grab the remote, and enjoy some relaxation. Unfortunately the pair of Saucony’s at the front door don’t have a voice to counter those in my head.
Andy, after a blazing hot and humid 7.3 mile leg during the Katy80 relay on May 31, 2014. ©Erin Croley
So how do runners motivate themselves when the cards are stacked against them? Is it that internal fire to stay in shape or to meet a personal goal in the next race? Do they run with a group of friends and know their peers are counting on them? Or do they use this time to escape all those factors that can keep them from running in the first place?
I don’t have the answers. For me, all of these are reasons I run. But even more, if I don’t run, it becomes harder for me to focus on these other important parts of my life. Just ask my wife…there are three things that make me cranky: lack of food, less than eight hours of sleep, and inability to get in a good run.
Share what motivates you to run when the odds seem stacked against you getting out the door, and check out other posts from Andy from his profile on our Contributors page!
I don’t have the answers. For me, all of these are reasons I run. But even more, if I don’t run, it becomes harder for me to focus on these other important parts of my life. Just ask my wife…there are three things that make me cranky: lack of food, less than eight hours of sleep, and inability to get in a good run.
Share what motivates you to run when the odds seem stacked against you getting out the door, and check out other posts from Andy from his profile on our Contributors page!
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