Motivation, what keeps you going?

Running 100, 150 or 200+ miles a month, the amount of miles it takes to run a Marathon or race a Ultra takes more than just the physical act of putting one foot in front of the other.  Sometimes I think running is the easy part, once I get moving the run comes natural.  What I fight, what I have to overcome is the mental motivation or lack of motivation to get out the front door.  What gives me a kick in the butt is knowing I have a race upcoming or that I’ve committed to a new goal distance.  

What motivates you?

Are you motivated by racing?

My training is more focused and it is easier for me to get out the door on a much more consistent basis when I know there is a race date on the calendar.  As much as I enjoy running long distances, it is hard to head out the door without a goal.  A 20 miler is hard enough, but the degree of difficulty only goes up if the run is just a maintenance run and not focused on an upcoming marathon.  When I have a marathon or ultra-race on the calendar, and I’ve committed to the race…I feel much more compelled to “train” during my long run and not just slog my way thru it.    

Or are you motivated by reaching distance or overall mileage goals?

Racing does not do it for you?  Try reaching for a new distance goal.  When I’ve committed publicly, when others know that I’m reaching for a new monthly, yearly or distance goal.  Or when I want to extend my long run further then I've ever run before…my training is much easier to get into.  Running with a focus of a new goal, a non-racing goal then the long run becomes an important step in reaching my goal.   Posting my runs to my running log keeps me focused on the big picture.  The immediate feedback of missing a run is perfect feedback to keep me going out the door.

If you feel unmotivated during your next long run, sign up for a marathon, commit to an Ultra, and you'll notice that your running gets much more focused.