Finding motivation

I've, once again, been busy to exhaustion lately. My muscle has been okay for the most part and I'm still treating it with what I read online- with the heating and cooling thing and with ibuprofen. If it gets worse, I will have to see a doctor. Right now, I'm okay though. I've been really cautious at work with lifting boxes and tubs of ice cream and mix. So far, so good. It's hard to just find some other way to do my job at work, because, when I'm there, I'm the only one making ice cream. That's a lot of lifting on my shoulders.

I've been trying to think of ways to regain and maintain motivation. I've been reading a lot of running books, which have been really great. Right now, I'm reading "The Runner's Rule Book" by Mark Remy and I LOVE it. The book is a pretty easy read, is full of really interesting information, while being comical and lighthearted. There is interesting and useful information combined with humor. I really like that it's an easy read, because my brain has been fried recently. Reading books about running has helped me regain motivation, which I'm glad for.

Another way that I'm working on maintaining motivation is to continue running daily, even if it is just for a few miles. Sometimes, I feel like I just don't have the time to go for a long run... and that's because I'm busy much of the time. I still have two jobs, I'm still packing my apartment to move across the country, I'm reading some, getting ready to start graduate school in a few months, and I'm still running a lot. All of it is exhausting. However, running daily helps me to calm down and feel accomplished. I made myself a chart through the middle of July to help me keep running and training for races. I'd like to do the trathlon in July. I'm 90% sure that I'm going to register for it. It's just going to take some further training. I know that I have it in me, somewhere deep down. haha.

Making a chart of my mileage is going to really help me maintain motivation. I put it on the fridge so that I see it regularly and can think about it when I'm just getting up in the morning. I'm also going to write it in my day planner, too, because I write everything in it and it helps keep me organized.

Today's run went ok. I had a really long day- 7 hours at work, followed by 3 hours at a wedding reception with my family, and two long drives... so I almost felt too tired to run. I'm definitely glad that I did, even though I was already exhausted. (Weddings in my family are pretty wild. I think I danced with my cousin or uncle for three hours straight. One of them was around pretty much the entire time. My body isn't used to that kind of movement!) I ran a little over 5 miles, which was my goal. I didn't have a lot of struggles or pain during my run. A few times I was a little sore, but I fought through. I think that I was successful. haha.

Tomorrow I'm going for a 5.5 mile run, which isn't too long or too short. I'm looking forward to it.

At work today, people were asking me again how it is that I can actually run as much as I do. I try to explain that anybody can run a half marathon if they train for it. It bothers me when people say that it is impossible, because it really isn't. It just takes a lot of drive.

Goal: 1000 miles/365 days
So far: 342.12 miles/203 days
To go: 657.88 miles/162 days