Ever Changing Motivation

I've been in a low spot of motivation to run these past few months. I've only run one race in nine months, and it wasn't pretty. I have a race in two and a half weeks and I just don't feel ready for it. Lately climbing mountains has interested me more than going for a run, however I don't live close to any mountains, which further exacerbates the draw to not exercise hard.

After any big event there is a let down, a depression about putting so much effort into something, and then it is over. It is no longer a motivator. I wanted to be on a team USA for years, six plus years, and now I have been. What's next?

In this case it's pretty simple, I know I can do much better than 154 miles for 24 hours and I would like to improve on my personal record. There are also a variety of races I would like to run and take a shot at being on the 100k team USA. Yet I also know, it takes time to get in shape, it takes effort, sacrificing social time with people who don't further this goal of mine. All of that is hard, and it's not as easy a sacrifice as it once was.

For training to go really well it is best if it is the most interesting thing going on in your life. Life has to be a little boring and monotonous so that you aren't wasting energy on things other than training. I'm struggling with that because there are a few things in my life a little more interesting than running right now.

I've run and raced for so long. I'm a better marathoner than Hannes Kolehmainen was when he set the world record. I'm the reigning 24 hour USA national champion. I set personal records at the six Olympic distance running events after leaving college. The motivation has to come from somewhere, it has to be set on something, but as the accomplishments become greater, the goals usually need to be greater, which means they are harder, which means more suffering.

The point being, motivation changes. What used to be motivation is not what it will be in the future.