Running - Getting the Gold

I grew up always craving a win. Something about me that will never change is my motivation to win. I am very competitive and love a good competition. However, I like to win on my own. This is why running suits me very well. 5ks, 10ks, 15ks, half marathons, and marathons are individual races that are (usually) timed. Most races are divided into age groups. I try not to focus on placing in the top of my age group because it is one of the larger groups, but I do get very caught up in passing people along the way. Personally, I believe finishing the run strong is a victory no matter the time on the clock.

I often get asked the questions “Why do you like running?”, “How do you run so often?”, and “How do you enjoy running?” I know running has a bad reputation because it’s hard. I understand that it’s not something that everyone loves to do. However, I believe anyone can learn to love it. Running is so beneficial to many different elements of life: strengthening, reducing stress, allowing time for mindlessness, confidence, and endurance. I’ve learned to use my running time to think about decisions I need to make, how I would deal with given situations, and goals I have. In Jeff Galloway’s book, Marathon, he writes about how having fun is key to wanting to continue running. He says, “In all this there is a magic ingredient that keeps you motivated in just about any situation. When you find ways to have fun during your run, you open the door for the right brain to take over and work its creative magic” (Galloway 62). I find joy in letting my mind wander while running. I also find running to be my best stress reliever. If something throws off my positivity, running always brings it back.

While reading Marathon, I came across a section that I found important in motivation. He writes about the difference between a dream and a vision. He says, “A dream is not connected to reality. It’s easy to dream that you’ll run the marathon in less than two hours. Even when your dreams are within your capabilities, without a well-structured training program and regular mental contact with your vision, dreams are seldom realized and you set yourself up for disappointment” (Galloway 63). He then goes on to describe a vision as, “A perception of experience that you can prepare for by specific physical and mental exercises. To fulfill a vision, you must chart out the exercises, constantly adjusting and fine tuning them to make the vision more complete and meaningful” (Galloway 63). I have always seen a difference between something that is a dream and something that is a real goal. Looking back on my first half marathon training, I didn’t really envision what the end of training would be like. I just thought if I did the training, all would go smoothly. I had to adjust that mindset as the miles stacked up. I had to come to the realization that running is a mental game. You have to see yourself doing well to do well. From then on, I envisioned myself finishing each run strong.

My mom and I running the Tinkerbell

Half in Disneyland

I stay motivated by setting a goal and doing everything I can to reach that goal. After a nice long run, I feel more confident in myself. After reaching a running goal, I feel motivated to set a new goal. In 2015 I ran the Tinkerbell Half Marathon in Disneyland at age 14. I was placed in corral A, meaning the fastest paced corral. To mean, this was a big deal. The youngest age allowed to race was 14. This alone was enough to motivate me to do the best I could. I was younger than almost everyone running, I wanted to prove that I was not too little for it. And I was proven correct. Now, 2 years later, I’m training for The Princess Half Marathon in Disney World. With a constant vision in my mind, this training is going better than ever.

Question: What motivates you? How do you stay motivated?

Galloway, Jeff. Marathon: You Can Do It! Bolinas, CA: Shelter, 2001. Print.