Motivation Where Are You?

As I sit here, looking out the window at the rain pouring down from the grey skies above, I realize I need some outside motivation today.

Tonight I have a tempo run to do, but I feel tired, I’m freezing cold and my legs (and my eyelids) seem heavy and weak. I just want to curl up beside the fire and have a little nap and pretend I ran an amazingly good tempo run (maybe I should do that – it’ll be like working on my visualization skills right? right?)

My level of training this week has been different than the previous two weeks or so. I suppose it is toned down a little, as it is technically a rest week on the ol’ calendar, but unfortunately, my body hasn’t really felt like it is in the middle of a rest week (go figure). I guess I’m slightly surprised by my ongoing level of fatigue this week, and of course, that freaks me out a little.

So, now I have all sorts of thoughts running through my mind. They go a little something like this… Have I gotten soft? Why does my body feel like this? Is this all mental or does my body just need a break? Do I just need to HTFU? Why am I so neurotic? Did I feel this way two years ago when training for IMC the first time?

Thankfully, I have a training log and a blog to reflect back on to help me answer that last question. Turns out that yep, I had ups and downs this early in the training cycle two years ago too, much like I am having now.

(From March 2010) “... and while I’ve had days of feeling tired, days of bruised and cramping calves, and even a few days seriously lacking motivation, in the grand scheme of things, the last block of training has gone quite well and the positives definitely outweigh any negatives.”

And you know, I think I can safely say that even though I feel worn out and unmotivated today, the positives are still outweighing the negatives. I know my motivation will come back...

I just hope it is in time for my tempo run this evening.