Are you motivated to Run for the Rocks?

Has anyone ever told you that you couldn’t do something, accomplish something or laughed at a goal you have?  Do you tell yourself that you can’t accomplish something – like running a half-marathon perhaps?

I used to be influenced by others in that regard too.  Now I use doubts as motivation when it comes to running.  Weather that doubt comes from inside or from someone else; I have gradually learned to use doubt as motivation to accomplish any goal I set out to achieve.  If someone expresses doubt… I can’t help it; I ABSOLUTELY will accomplish whatever challenge is being doubted! 

My husband is a wonderful man, but sometimes he forgets (or rather hasn’t learned!) that telling me I “probably can’t” or even “probably won’t want to” do something is like a directive to go and do just that – at least when it comes to running, cycling, hiking, etc.  (I know this wouldn’t work on me with on, say the laundry, so don’t try it!) Last weekend I was pretty determined to run to the lake about 15 miles away from our house, but it was really windy and gloomy.  My husband came in from getting the mail and said “honey I don’t know if you’re going to make it to the lake today, it is really windy and kinda chilly…”  I’m not sure if he knew it right as he said it or not, but I could tell pretty quickly that he knew he said precisely the wrong thing.  I WAS going to go and I WAS going to make it and he WAS going to pick me up when I go there darn it!  Silly… maybe.  Determined to do it anyway… yes. Tenacious… definitely.

I didn’t care that that 15 miles was hard and that the wind beat me down.  I was motivated every step of the way just because I was so determined to prove I could.  I relished making that phone call saying “I’m a mile from the lake, if you leave now to pick me up you can meet me there!”  I admit I do take this to the extreme.  I didn’t have to run that distance to that place on that day, but I did it for myself.

If you are thinking about running the Run for the Rocks half marathon, but haven’t run one before, or have other doubts, don’t talk yourself out of it!  Don’t let you or anyone else tell you that you can’t accomplish something you want to achieve.  Use that doubt as motivation.  If you train and tell yourself you can do it, I know you can run this race and accomplish anything else you set your mind to (even if your husband would prefer you set your mind to laundry!)