Finding my motivation.

We've found a running groove.  We run after work once a week together, we run at lunch 1-2 times a week together. Our lunch runs have increased to four runners, using our lunch breaks to push ourselves and get away from the computers.  Occasionally, a longer run on the weekend.  It feels amazing. 

The downside: Our runs have been short.  2.5 miles, 3 miles. Finally up to 4.  The 10k is fast approaching...

I knew that if I didn't get the run on the calendar, and pay the fee, I would never to it. 6.2mi is much longer than 3 or 4.  So we registered:

• Saturday, March 10th, 7:30am
• 10k (6.2 miles) to run for Children's Cancer at the Grand Canyon University in Glendale: http://www.gcuraceseries.com/

Today, we set out to run 5 miles, what would be our longest run to date. The problem is, we have been running along the street, at the gym, next to the canal, on the "river" (i.e. dirt).  None of these places are beautiful and none of these places are motivating.  We don't like to cross our finish line only to have to loop past it again, it's discouraging, and it's frustrating.  But today, we found our place:

 

Tempe Town Lake

We ran a 4.56 loop today around the Tempe Town Lake. It is surrounded by happy families, runners, bikers, playful dogs, row teams, men and women of all ages out enjoying the gorgeous weather.  We ended up walking about 3/4 of a mile in the middle, but we completed it in 50 min.  It felt great! Not to shabby since we haven't run in a week, I was sick last week, and Christi is fighting off a cold now.

It gets hard to run, when your lungs and your legs are constantly telling your brain that you should stop. You want to stop.  No one will know. Well, I don't want to stop, and I will know.  I want to finish.  But sometimes it is hard to push through those voices.  A running coach told us this week that we need to find the reason we are running, and keep saying that to yourself in those moments when you don't think you can do it.

I'm running to prove to myself that I can.

 I think the lake is going to be perfect for us.  We have found a 5mi loop there that we can double in the future when we need a 10mi loop.  There's also pedestrian bridges that we can use for our interval sprint training.  Added bonus: They do 5k and 10k races there all the time, so if we ever participate, we already know the terrain.

I feel good. And I feel ready to push forward to prove to myself that I can be the athlete I never thought I could be.