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Run Chicken Run: My Motivation
| published October 1, 2014 |

By Sarah Herrin
Thursday Review contributor/running blogger

“I have met my hero, and he is me.” – George Sheehan

Sometimes the best runs are the ones you don't even feel going on in the first place.

Today was a long day. First thing first, I woke up with a threatening migraine which meant swallowing a pill and hoping that it didn’t get worse. Next, a job interview and I don’t need to elaborate on how stressful that can be when you’re in-between jobs. Afterwards, my partner biked over and we enjoyed coffee and croissants while watching superstar cyclist Jens Voigt beat the hour record. Then, a walk home in windy weather, washing dishes, preparing lunch, doing laundry, and indulging in two hours of Game of Thrones (Season 2 cause I'm waiting for the guy to catch up.) all made me very worn out and lazy. Suddenly, it was nearing 6PM and darkness would not wait much longer. I knew that if I didn't get my run in, it'd be 3 days off in a row which is a cardinal sin.

I wanted to run, but how was I going to motivate my body? My go to for motivation is always other runners. Most likely, they've been in your shoes—in my case, not in them—and can probably give some good advice. While my partner is pretty good at motivating me, I usually check out my favorite site for motivation quotes. It has to be my decision, after all or else, what’s the point?

It's officially autumn in the Pacific Northwest and today was especially grey. Daylight was fading fast and I knew that the longer I waited, the closer to the hunger Danger Zone I would get. I suited up, ate a spoon of peanut butter, gulped a glass of water, and got out the door.

I've been running 4.5 miles consistently for the past two weeks. (I'll talk about gaining mileage soon.). And since I moved to a new neighborhood, I've found a new path out to Volunteer Park and back that achieves just that mileage. Before tonight, I've never run while talking on the phone, but the research I've done has taught me that if you can talk and run without too much labor, it's pretty ideal for distance training. For this evening run, I was encouraged by chatting with my childhood best friend for 50 minutes. The company was really nice and it made the run feel much less like work. After the run, I was really happy I'd gone out—as is always the case no matter how lazy I'm feeling beforehand—and I was able to catch up with a close friend simultaneously. I saw some beautiful scenery and really appreciated the cooler weather, the falling leaves, and companionship.

In the end, I was reminded that motivation is always there, in many forms. You need only look for it.


You can read Sarah Herrin’s blog, RunChickenRun.net by following this link.

Related Thursday Review articles:

Run Chicken Run: My First Injuries; Sarah Herrin; Thursday Review; Sept. 23, 2014.