Finding my mojo

Since my half marathon I have only run once, and that is the sum total of exercise in two weeks.  As for eating… well, when I don’t exercise that slips too.  I am not a stickler for rules, I believe everything in moderation is a good thing.  And that means sugar, chocolate and even chips, or crisps if you prefer to call them that. But if I don’t run, then I begin to reason with myself that while I’m not running I may as well eat that third row of chocolate… and finish off that bag of chips.

The problem with that is I just keep on going, not running, eating more junk, drinking less water.  I have spare time of a morning to tweet, blog, clean the house. it’s great having that extra hour or so.  I think after the half, and the training leading up to it, a break was a good thing.  My body is not as young as it used to be, and there’s that pesky rheumatoid arthritis to look after – it does get angry when I’m not kind to my body, and I’d like to avoid pain killers and anti-inflammatories that knock me for six if I can. And as I have so far avoided knee surgery, I’d like to keep it that way thank you very much.

But all that not exercising combined with all that eating tends to make me less likeable. I am a grumpy, bitchy, less tolerant person to be around. I sleep less, and when I do sleep it’s rarely restful. I stay up later – a combination I think of eating chocolate late at night, drinking less water and more wine, and (by staying up) trying to make myself sleepy enough to actually fall asleep when I do finally go to bed.  Yeah… it’s not a great plan.

Over the last week I have been noticing more people out and about running.  I have been watching them pass me as I drive to and from work and I have felt that yearning to be out there again.  That need, that want, it’s back.

So, starting this week it’s back out to the tracks and paths I love.  I’ll have my trusty run keeper and my favourite running play list as companions. I’ll fill my water bottle and take it where ever I go, and I’ll cut back on the late night chocolate hits. Telling myself I won’t have any never works, I end up giving myself the bird and scoffing more than I was before.

I have a 10km event in less than two months, and I want a really good personal time.  I need to focus, build speed and strength. But most of all I need to feel that runners high again.  And I won’t feel that sitting on my arse!

To get myself motivated I have already worked out where and when I will run this coming week.  I have checked the weather and have planned which gear to wear for each run. Now all that’s left to do is pull my running cap down on my head, plant my earphones and run.

Tell me, what do you do to get yourself motivated? How do you find momentum again?

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Tags: everything in moderation, finding my mojo, half marathon, rheumatoid arthritis, running