I ran almost every day, but never more than six miles (my iPhone tells me that's 9.7 kilometers). At the time, I much preferred doing hot yoga or Muay Thai rather than run nowhere for a few hours. And it's the fact that I enjoyed those things that ultimately gave me the ability to write that first sentence of this post.
Sure, I would've benefited from training in the form of long-distance running, but in the end, all that really mattered was the fact that I was training at all. Keeping my body active and healthy was what gave me the ability to jog for two hours straight when it came time to run the marathon. And the only reason I could keep at my training was that I had something to work towards - I had a goal.
After the marathon, I ran less. I had achieved my goal. There was no more reason to run. I was still going to Muay Thai just as much as before. Muay Thai was different. I had a group of people keeping me accountable. I had a reason to go (learn how to beat the shi-- I mean, defend myself if the occasion ever called for it). But it wasn't long before my attendance started dwindling and then ceased altogether. Granted, it was only a three month hiatus because school has a way of sucking the fun out of everything, but I stopped going nonetheless.
Amazingly, I was still motivated enough to go to the gym. I had discovered the elliptical: the magical machine that zaps love handles and stomach fat with (what feels like) little to no effort. And, when summer finally arrived, I got back into the swing of things with my old Muay Thai buds. But the motivation was weaker, easier to ignore. In hindsight, the reason for that is as clear as day.
I didn't have a goal. There wasn't something on the near horizon, something coming whether I liked it or not.
With the marathon, I was practically scared into working out, staying healthy. And that worked. I didn't want to fail. And I knew success was entirely in my reach if I just prepared for it.
These days I've finally gotten back on track (it was a little dicey there for a while) and it's because I've found a new goal. It's a silly one, but so far it's working for me so hush. At first I was thinking my goal should be to work towards being the next Angelina Jolie. You know, like her character in Salt? Practically an assassin. And I'd be lying if I said that doesn't still play a little bit of a part in my new goal. But the Angelina Jolie thing was a little too far fetched to be a real goal. I mean, there's like a 1% chance that'll ever happen, so that's a weak source of motivation if I ever saw it.
Instead, my new goal is this: to be able to kick someone's ass and then have the stamina to run as fast and efficiently as possible from all the repercussions of that.
I told you, it's silly. But also, have you seen the sorts of situations I get myself in on a daily basis? This will definitely come in handy someday - it's really just a matter of time.
Anyway, the reason why I'm blogging about this and not just writing it in some journal that will never see the light of day is because I know that a lot of people (whether they're willing to admit it or not) want to get aboard the healthy train these days. But it's a hard train to hop on and an even harder one to stay on. So I thought I'd share a few of my tricks with you.
Obviously, trick number one is: set a goal. I don't recommend the "I want to lose ten pounds" goal, because that one depends too much on you. Pick something like a half-marathon (or just a 5k) - something that you need to be ready for when it arrives.
Trick number two: don't settle. Find an activity that you really enjoy doing. There are so many things out there to do. Do an online search to find things near you - clubs, community centers, running groups. Seriously, community centers alone have a ton of stuff available so there's bound to be something that appeals to you.
Trick number three: go all out. I'm sure there are a few people out there who think I'm crazy for having my own bow and arrow. It's a pretty weird thing to own. But it's the equipment I need in order to do something I love. Maybe going all out for you only means buying the comfiest yoga pants in the world so you want to put them on and go exercise. Whatever it is, doing it will only help your cause.
Trick number four: find a buddy. Personally, I didn't really do this one, but that's because I'm okay with venturing out into the unknown alone. Still, that doesn't mean I don't have a little more fun when my sister decides to go for a run with me. And I started Muay Thai with my little brother, so that made things a little less daunting. The best part about the buddy system is the accountability aspect. You may be able to live with yourself if you skip a work out, but could you really live with a second person nagging at you for letting yourself off so easily?
Trick number five: don't forget the music. This one's most important if you decide to pick up running. I wouldn't recommend wearing headphones while swimming, for example, but that's just me. I know a few people who enjoy running without music, so if you're one of those people, more power to you! I, however, can barely even put one foot in front of the other until I have a beat to help me out. If you're the same way, here are a few of my favorite tunes that keep me going:
Girlfriend by Avril Lavigne
Good Feeling by Flo Rida
Chelsea Dagger by the Fratellis
Lose Yourself by Eminem
A-Punk by Vampire Weekend
Walkie Talkie Man by Steriogram
Crying Blood by V.V. Brown
Na Na Na Na Naah by the Kaiser Chiefs
Gimme Sympathy by Metric
Love You like a Love Song by Selena Gomez
Don't mock until you try them out. They're seriously gold.
Anyway, this post is already far too long, so I shall leave you with only two more tidbits of advice:
1) Don't go running in flared, too-long yoga pants in the rain - it will slow you down. Fast.
2) Invest in some toe-shoes. Seriously. They're the best.
Happy Hunting!
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