First off, I have to apologize for the delay. I wrote this blog a while ago, but had some technical difficulties uploading it (strictly user related). Anyhow, I think it's still relevant because we all struggle with motivation sometimes...
A few weeks ago, Colorado had some of the coldest days I have ever experienced along the front range. I have to admit that I may have become a little bit soft since my Gunnison running days (back then, I did not shy away from running outside when the mercury fell below 0 degrees Fahrenheit). After hearing the weather forecast of -7 real feel -30 the older, softer, hopefully wiser me decided that it was going to be a treadmill day. I packed up all of my stuff in the morning so I could head over to the gym directly after work. Usually I prefer to go before work but the logistics of running on the treadmill take more time, so I go after. I quite enjoy running in the morning with my husband and dog or the other ladies from the BRC team. Although it is usually colder in the morning, I find that the mornings are very peaceful and I get to see some of the most beautiful sunrises imaginable.
After putting in a satisfying day at my job that actually pays the bills, I really didn't feel like running on the treadmill. Like many other runners, I am not particularly fond of the treadmill, especially since I had also run on the treadmill the day before. After a heated conversation with myself, I finally ended in the gym parking lot and made a mad dash through the cold to the gym doors. Surprisingly enough, I wasn't the only one who didn't want to brave the cold that day and all of the treadmills were full. While waiting, I noticed that an aerobics session had ended and another was about to start. I found myself somewhat envious of the people heading into the class. Although, I have never actually been to one of those aerobic type classes, I imagine that they are loads of fun. I do go to Yoga and Pilates, but I put them in a different category.
Eventually a treadmill opened up and I found myself jogging along, not super happy to be there. I had forgotten my iPod, which meant that not only could I not listen to music, but I also couldn't use the headphones to plug into the TV sound. So, my choices were either to try to watch Wheel of Fortune, where I couldn't actually make out any of the letters, or stair at the backsides of the ever revolving group of people using the stair masters in front of me. Worst of all, I was hungry. Which, for anyone who knows me well, knows that I can be seriously grouchy when my sandwich meter is running low.
A small group of women who had come out of the aerobics class earlier were happily chatting near the treadmills next to me. They were raving about how much fun they had in the Zumba class and were making arrangements to attend the next class. I found myself daydreaming about Zumba (although I still have no idea what it actually is), thinking to myself that I am definitely going to go to the next class if this dreadfully cold weather continues. So, that kept me busy for a little while and I decided to do a time check to see how long I had been running. Four minutes and twenty two seconds. Boy, was this going to be a long run.
Exactly five minutes and five seconds later, there was a change up on the treadmill next to me. The new person appeared to be fairly fit, but more importantly must have applied Icy Hot or something similar before hopping on the treadmill. The smell of the Icy Hot and sweat brought back memories of running indoor track and the sound of my feet hitting the treadmill stride after stride vaguely reminded me of the hollow sound of the raised Mondo tracks. Indoors was always one of my favorite seasons and I found myself reminiscing. Without even thinking about it, I reached down and increased the speed on the treadmill. I looked over into one of hundreds of mirrors surrounding me and noticed that my form had straightened up and I had an extra bounce in my step. The remaining sixty minutes and thirty three seconds passed by in a blur and I stepped off the treadmill thinking well...that wasn't so bad, maybe I should run on the treadmill more often.
It's amazing what a little bit of motivation can do.
