MOTIVATION FOR RUNNERS

When in doubt, run it out.

[runningonsmoothies]

“Which do you want: the pain of staying where you are, or the pain of growth?”

— Judith Hanson Lasater (via purplebuddhaproject)

[runbraverunfast]

Just because you aren’t where you want to be doesn’t mean you aren’t capable of great things. You can still be positive and work towards that goal. Everyday is an investment. Start today fearlessly. Be brave and unrelenting towards your goals. They are YOUR goals, and they deserve to be recognized.

[quotes-motivational]

[quotes-motivational]

[quotes-motivational]

[fiti-vation]

[clifbarsandprs]

call me crazy, but...

one day I’m going to be a state champion in track. I’m going to place in the top 10 at state in cross country. Sure, I may be in the smallest/easiest classification, but I may as well take advantage of it. Although right now my times may be nowhere near the level of a state champion, they will be one day. I still have two more YEARS until my senior track season, and you sure as hell can bet I’m gonna be working my ass off until then. Two years is a long time, and I’m just getting started; I have so much room for improvement. I want it so badly and one day I will get it. Big dreams don’t work unless you do.

[clifbarsandprs]

I️ wrote this as a sophomore in high school.

I️ am currently a senior, and my final high school cross country season has finished. I️ never won a cross country race. I️ never PRed this season. I️ never accomplished many of my goals that I️ had been dreaming about since freshman year.

I️ have worked hard consistently since then. I️ have put in the miles day in and day out. I️ have pushed myself in countless workouts. I️ have felt like running has given me the world. I️ have smiled my way through long runs that felt more like floating.

I️ have cried. I️ have felt like this sport has given me nothing in return. I️ have wondered why I️ put so much effort into something that rarely seems to give me results.

But that’s just how it goes. You wake up each morning and you decide to be committed to something and you don’t know if you will get anything out of it. But you do it anyway. You drag yourself out of bed, despite feeling exhausted. You lace up your shoes and walk out the door. You run. You find freedom with every step. You learn that running is not about your best 5k time, or how fast you can run mile repeats. It is about the sheer exhaustion, the utter exhilaration, the simple thrill. It is what you make of it.

Maybe one day I’ll be as fast as I️ dreamed of when I️ was 14 years old. All I️ can do is keep working hard and trusting the process. If it’s meant to be, it’ll be.

[running-and-living]

Fucking reality check

Here’s an adjustment to your attitude about effort in workouts. Do this: early in the workout, commit to a pace that’s too fast. When you’re halfway through telling yourself, “this is too fast. I can’t do this”, fucking speed up and go for it. Then when you’re ¾ of the way through, you actually won’t know if you can finish. Here’s a reality check, you don’t know what you’re capable of. Fucking go for it. You don’t know you’re giving it 100% until you’ve failed. Worst case scenario: you blow up and try again a different day. I bet you’ll surprise yourself and learn you’re capable of more than you think. You know what was going through my head 3-4 times a week over the summer, “I will throw up and pass out before I slow down”. I would do everything fucking possible to keep the pace up. Not for a mile or two, I would do this and think this with 6 miles left in 18 milers. After the last set, you should think, “holy fuck I can’t believe I just did that”. If you can do that once or twice a week and string those together, you’ll be fast. That’s running. Everything else is bullshit. The only thing that matters is being able to conquer fear.

[live4thelongrun]

It doesn't matter how fast or how committed you are.

There are going to be days where you feel as though you’ve lost every ounce of motivation in your body. You need to find it. Search long and hard. Look past the soreness and the aches. Whatever you need to do, do it. You must have the willpower to push even when you want to give up, your desire to win must be more rewarding than taking the easy way out. You must find comfort in the uncomfortable. The only thing separating you from every other runner is whether or not you are able to say you gave it everything you had today.

[everything-changes-once-again]

Reminders to myself

1. You’re more resilient than you think. Trust the process, trust the experts, trust yourself. You are going to get there.

2. Cancel the pity party. It’s time to take ownership of every aspect of your life.

3. Little choices matter more for you than for most people. Be sure to make the right ones.

4. If you don’t eat, you won’t run well. It’s very simple.

5. Sleep is important. Socializing is important. Balance is important. Being honest with yourself is extremely important.

6. Embrace growth and change, and be gentle with yourself along the way. You are moving mountains that have been on the horizon for as long as you can remember. No one said it would be easy, only that it had to be done.

7. Be brave. You never know who you are inspiring.

[cutegorl]

Use the pain. Turn it into strength.

j.m.n (via jlivingwell)

[everything-changes-once-again]

This is my mid-summer reminder to stay motivated, dedicated, and focused, because I have big goals for the fall and I’m not going to let anything keep me from achieving them

[xcrunnermotivation]

Push harder than yesterday if you want a different tomorrow.

[championsaremade]

The start lines in October will not feel sorry for you because of the work that did not get done in June.

What I’ve been telling myself on the mornings it’s hard to get up and run (via championsaremade)

[runningtheimpossible]

The Racing Mentality

Sometimes I forget how important your mindset is when it comes to running.

When you’re on that starting line, you’re not thinking of the “extra 2 cookies you ate a couple nights ago”, or worrying about the fact that you “didn’t get enough sleep 3 days back.” You’re thinking about what is AHEAD of you, and the things that have prepared you for this race.

One person in the race could be the fastest or the most talented, but if they believe that dessert or lack of adequate sleep is going to make them lose, the next best person with the belief that they WILL be the best is going to succeed. Your body does what your mind tells it to.

For me, racing is all mental. I don’t look around and compare myself to others because, well, everyone is so different. Go out there and trust in yourself, give it everything you have and don’t think about insignificant “mistakes” you made that messed up a “perfect” training regimen.

At that point in the race when you’re struggling and everything starts to hurt, think about what you have done in the past that WILL get you across that finish line faster than ever before. Your mind controls your body, so go out there and tell your mind that you will run fast.

[motivated-mindset]

Dream big. Work hard. Stay humble.

(via motivated-mindset)

[sportsbrasandcoffee-deactivated]

Important Summer Training Tips

Your runs don’t have to be fast to be helpful.

Stringing together a bunch of medium-paced average runs is more effective than going all out a few times a week (only to be too tired/sore to run that pace again), especially when you’re focusing on increasing your mileage.

If you’re able to choose between sleep and running, do your run later and get more sleep. It’s not hardcore to skip sleep, it’s unproductive. Your body needs it to absorb the training.

Don’t do AB workouts, do CORE workouts. Ab = abdominals only. Core = abdominals, obliques, glutes, pelvis, lower back. Purpose of working out just your abs = vanity. Purpose of working out your entire core = getting functionally strong to run faster. 

Do runs on grass and trails for the soft surfaces (and because in the winter you’ll miss the color green, believe me), but don’t worry about your pace. The terrain will naturally slow you down, but it will also force you to work different muscles which will strengthen your core WHILE YOU RUN (why core? see above).

Don’t just hydrate with water. Replace the electrolytes you lose when you sweat with gatorade or powerade, or if that’s too sweet for you, dilute it with water or invest in Nuun or Skratch or a similar product. 

Most most most importantly…ENJOY YOURSELF. Setting only outcome-based goals (”win state”; “break 19″; “take a minute off my PR”) drains the joy out of the sport that you love very quickly. Remember that. Set another, more important goal: to enjoy the process. To love the sport more in July than you did in June, and to love it still more in August. Actively cultivate your passion, and let the rest take care of itself.

[carolyn-lives-deactivated201709]

Bringing this back because it’s time.

[hersaunter-deactivated20241111]

Yes.