Get Up and Go Run!!!  Where Does the Motivation Come From on a Rainy Day?

When it doesn’t come from within, you are forced to look outside. Right???  But on a cold rainy day that feels more like fall than spring?  How?

This was my day yesterday. Cold and rainy. A misty rain that would sometimes become droplets then a slight downpour. I struggled all day with the idea of going for a run. I recently updated my iTunes running mix with a bunch of new songs that I love. Right now, nothing gets me up a hill like “Whiskey in the Jar” and “Fat Bottomed Girls”. 

I have recently increased my running miles with the goal of running a half marathon in September. The longest race distance I have done so far is the 10k. I have run 10 miles in the past. Seems like forever ago though. The day’s pre-kids when my husband and I could lace up and run together at a moments notice!  That does not happen today. My CrossFit training has kept me fit and strong, but I really want to increase my cardiovascular stamina and distance running is my favorite way to do that. I am addicted to the runners high….

So, yesterday’s bleak, dreary and cold day was not very motivating. We have had a wonderful spring this year in Ohio, so I cannot complain. What I realized is that I needed to look outside myself to find my motivation.  I thought about how much I like running in the rain. In fact, almost all of my favorite runs have been in the rain. There is something very innocent and purifying about running in the rain.  I love how I never get hot in the rain. It is refreshing.

So I threw on my baseball cap to keep the raindrops out of my eyes so my eyes could stay on the road. On went the armband with my iTunes set just right. Tossed on the Akron CrossFit jacket to protect the iPhone. Laced up the inov-8 running shoes and out I went.

As soon as my first foot hit the ground, I knew I made the right decision and I never looked back.  In fact, I never even thought about my “out.”  When I am lacking motivation, I always tell myself “self, give it five minutes. If after five minutes you are in misery, you can go home.”   I have never gone home. My five-am mantra is “you are going to be just as tired in an hour… So just get up!”  It works.  I always get up when I alter my thinking.  It truly is mind over matter!

The rain was invigorating. I dressed just right so I was neither cold nor warm. By the end, I was wet from head to toe, and my legs were cold to the touch, but warm inside. By mile three, the rain had stopped and I enjoyed the change. I logged 4.1 miles without a struggle. It is a very hilly course with one “mountain” at the end of mile three… No problem! 

It was an incredible run. Just as I made my last turn home, iTunes started “Whiskey in the Jar” and I ran like a mother the rest of the way home… To my three little hearts waiting at the door!  I am glad I looked outside myself!