Sources of Motivation

Once in a while, I figure I will base my post for the day, on Dailymile's  #Dailymission.

Today's #Dailymission is: 

"Share a tip: What is something you do to keep motivated?"

So I am going to share some of the many things that help keep me motivated.... maybe you have some that are the same, or ones I should use, let me know :)

Wedding:)The dress is bought, the planning is in motion. Lord knows I need to make sure that dress fit's perfectly next year! I know lot's of women who use their wedding as motivation to lose weight or get fit. I am using the wedding as ADDED motivation to stay fit and be healthy:) I mean let's be honest here, I wanna look amazing on my wedding day, just like every other woman does.....

New Stuff! New gear, new clothes, new shoes, trust me it is motivation! It makes me wanna try out the new stuff the moment I get it. I came home from my run yesterday to find my Running Warehouse AND Gymdoll orders had came in, first thing I had to do what rip it open and check it out. It made me that much more excited for my next workout! I am also counting down the days until the Saucony Kinvara 4's are released (56 if you were wondering) ( Because as you know, I am a Saucony Nutjob.)

 Some of my new gear I received this week: Hot Pink Vitalsox (Planning on reviewing these soon for you all!). I also got my awesome order from Gymdoll , love my flashy skull/barbell tank, as well as a RUN HARDER shirt I ordered (not pictured)

Races: are a happy place for me. I have been a competitive person for as long as I can remember, and competed a lot in high school and in college. I love the adrenaline at the start line, the feeling of crossing the finish, and pushing myself to the limits. Whenever I am feeling low in motivation, I usually will sign up for a race. It gives you something to work for, because you don't want to show up on race day unprepared. I like knowing I did all that I could to get me from start to finish. Having a goal race in mind has been key for me in staying motivated and keeping my focus on bettering myself. One of my biggest fears is showing up to a goal race feeling like I didn't do everything that I could, so I use the motivation to train harder and smarter to get where I want to be.

Health/Fitness: I don't have genetics on my side when it comes to just about anything. Hell, my own health history is longer than most people twice my age. One of the best things I can do for myself is stay motivated to be fit, eat right and stay healthy. I've got a lot of life left to live and lots of things I want to be able to do which requires I live a healthy long life.

Make your haters jealous and supporters proud: I feel very strongly about this one. I believe in running for yourself and not caring what other people think. But the overwhelming feeling of seeing people be inspired by you, proud of you and supporting you.... is incredible. Also, to all the people in the world who put you down, don't want you to succeed, the ones who are jealous of your determination and healthy lifestyle....we all have those people we would love to say "SHOVE IT" to...no better way to doing that then to be happy, and keep succeeding.

To Indulge: Yes, I know the phrase goes "Don't run to eat, you must eat to run", but the fact of the matter is, you need to indulge sometimes. I feel a hell of a lot less guilty about having some ice cream or chocolate or my all time favorite Guinness beer, knowing that I worked out. But seriously, enjoy what you're eating and indulge sometimes....it won't kill you. I promise.

To keep up with the boys: I won't deny it, passing boys at races, particularly around the finish.... it's one of my favorite things to do. This is where being able to finish strong comes in handy, which takes hard work and motivation.

Emotional well-being: Running has and always will be a stress reliever for me. It started as running away from things, mentally and physically, and it turned into the biggest love of my life. Running has been the one thing always there for me, my outlet and my safe haven. I will be the first to admit that I am horrible at handling stress, I am not always a stable person. Yeah, I said it. But running and working out on a regular basis has kept me more grounded and level headed than any medication or therapist ( Don't get me wrong, I love my therapist). 

Nothing beats post run smiles and runners high...

So, what motivates you? Do any of these apply to you, what about things I didn't mention, I would love to hear your stories!

This post comes to you from my bedroom floor.

Foam Rolling.

Stretching.

Blogging.

Chugging Chocolate Milk protein shake.

Have a wonderful night!