Day 31 - Motivation

Daily Total: 8 miles; Weekly Total: 40 miles; Per Mile Pace: 9:17; Days Until Marathon: 52

There are a plethora of opportunities to become discouraged in the course of marathon training or on race day. For example, during my last marathon I developed a severe allergic reaction to the pollen that was in the air and was unable to maintain a consistent pace for the second half of the race. After 10 weeks of foregoing alcohol and coffee for the most part, waking up before sunrise countless mornings to run, and sacrificing a large chunk of my schedule to the demands of training, my unanticipated seasonal allergies on race day were a huge letdown. I've resigned to the possibility that future races may bring similiar unanticipated, undesirable realities and that I can only digest each race as an additional notch on the learning belt of experience. The challenge is to stay motivated.

Surprisingly or not, what motivates me the most about marathon training is the challenge of the physical accomplishment itself. Of course there are mornings that an extra hour or two of sleep seems much more preferable than getting my rear out the door for a run. Even music or NPR as entertainment via my iPod loses luster after so many days of repeated listening. Moreover, the gradual improvement or occasional plateau in per mile pace time becomes disheartening. When my motivation is running low, translating to a lack of physical energy, there is no attempt at rebuilding stamina that seems too absurd or ridiculous. I'll pick a new route, make a definitive effort to seek new features out of my familiar surroundings, or even ask the universe for a surge of energy to carry me through my run.

How do you stay motivated?