5 ways to stay motivated during an injury

Day 26 of zero running...

Seriously?

Today was such a hard day. I'm being honest. It was HARD.

The kiddos kept me busy - I can't believe they go back to school on Monday!

They had a fun day just hanging out at home and painting....

So many doubts creeping into my mind and then the next minute feeling pretty good again.

26 days is a LONG time not to be running when you are supposed to be training for a marathon.

THE BOSTON MARATHON.

I've had 2 or 3 friends suggest to me that I could run Boston in 2016.

But when I have my mind set on something, I want it. I want it. I want it.

And I want this. THIS race. THIS year. And I don't want to crawl through it. I want to RUN it.

So, I biked for 90 easy minutes on the stationary bike today I went from level 4 to level 7 and gradually ended at level 4 for a total of 15 miles. (want to make sure I am not doing too much on my knee).

.

Followed by 30 minutes of core work.

I felt better. This is a mind game. Mind over matter. This is where the strong survive.

Anyone out there dealing with an injury?

5 WAYS I'VE LEARNED TO STAY MOTIVATED:

1. Keep a journal. 

This blog has been such a blessing as I have been able to write down all about my training, but I also started keeping a journal. My friend gave me a journal last year that I haven't used until now. I love it and it lets me write down all my feelings, motivation and I will also use it to log my running miles for 2015 in a few weeks :)

2. Cross train! 

Well, you know I've definitely been doing that. The intensity has been increasing on the amount of time I spend in the pool running (loving my Aqua Jogger!) and on the bike.

3. Focus on your goal.

Sometimes when I get down, I think about Boston and what it means to be there. This motivates me to get out the door. I wasn't thrilled with the idea of sitting on a bike for 90 minutes today, but I remember WHY I am doing it.

4. Focus on your nutrition. 

I'm not running every day, so I need to really watch what goes in my mouth. NOT a diet, just being mindful that I don't need 3 cookies - one is fine. Or I don't need dessert every night. I want to make sure I am not gaining extra weight so when I get the okay to start running again, I am not carrying around too much extra weight.

5. Focus on your core. 

Stronger core = stronger runner. I have more time to focus on this since I am not running. Plus this helps me get into a good routine that I can incorporate with my running in a few weeks.

17 more days till my MRI! 

What are some of your favorite core exercises?

How many miles are you running on this first weekend of the new year?

Enjoy the weekend. 

Happiness Is Running Life!

xo,

Natalie