The body is able....the mind says stop

Consistency is the key to endurance.  Tell yourself that if you don't do it today then tomorrow will be harder.

You need to be building the muscle adaptations that allow you to store more energy in the muscle and to recover the energy spent on exercise more quickly.  This will allow you to run farther with less discomfort.  These changes accumulate gradually.  If you are consistent over three to four years of training you can get to your potential.as a runner.  There are no short cuts that will help.  It is just miles put behind you.  On the brighter side, once you get your body to its peak, running feels pretty good.

TW

Here are a few things that have worked to assist friends in getting motivated to run.  The best is to find someone to run with that really enjoys it (like me - I have always enjoyed just racking up the miles - it gives me solitude to work through the problems of the day), and their enjoyment will, hopefully, rub off.  One other thing I always recommend, and do myself when I have not having a good run, is imagine it is a race - force yourself to maintain a certain pace, or set a goal time to finish a certain distance (within reason).

Below are a couple links to some websites with info. on staying motivated to run and while running.

http://www.therunningadvisor.com/Motivation.html

http://www.thinkquest.org/library/site_sum.html?tname=3049&url=3049/version2.0/workouts/motivation.html

http://library.thinkquest.org/3049/version2.0/workouts/motivation.html

http://library.thinkquest.org/3049/version2.0/beginners/index.html

http://www.time-to-run.com/women/motivation.htm

http://www.time-to-run.com/women/maintain.htm

Hope this is helpful - Enjoy that next run! :-)

- Tim

Kristen,

Sweetheart I know your pain. As a former "I Hate Running," club member I know what it's like to dread putting on your running shoes knowing that you actually had to put one foot in front of the other for a sustained amount of time. What transferred me to the "I Don't Mind Running," club was two things"

A Running Training Program and Progress.

The running training program that I used (Couch to Oly, run focused from B.T.com) gave me a set schedule and set times to run. So I didn't worry about pace or distance, just running that's it. After sticking to this routine that forced me to run at certain times I didn't feel so bad. I didn't dread it. I knew that on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday I had to run for 24, 32 and 38 minutes. Before I knew it I was up to running non-stop for an hour.

The progress I made by building volume helped me to like running a lot more because I didn't feel so defeated. I mean if I could run 24 minutes then why couldn't I run 28? If I could run 28 then certainly I could run five more minutes and make it to 32. I just nickled and dimed my way up to an hour.

After about three miles the endorphins kick in and boy, man oh man, running becomes the best high that I've ever had. It's amazing. It's like the first mile and a half I hate it, I'm plodding like a huge buffalo, but after three miles I'm cruising like a gazelle. I haven't made it past five miles only because that's when I run out of time not because I run out of desire.

So now I look at my 1/2IM to end the season in 05 with anticipation instead of dread. 13.1 miles, whew, seems insurmountable. But hey, two miles were insurmountable just six months ago!

Bottomline is you've got to want it. You've got to look at running as an obstacle you need to conquer so you can get what you really want - the glory of Going Long and finishing your Olys and 1/2IMs. You've got to beat it into submission and take authority over it. Only you can do it. Cadence, music, running partner etc., all good tools but you have to provide the motivation. JUST DO IT!

Thanks everyone for the great tips! 

I'm trying to find a 1/2 mary training group in fort worth...so far I've only found one in Dallas.  HUGE difference at 7am on a Sat.

Sue, I like your list.  I'll have to use it on my run this weekend

Greg, The program I used for my 10K was the May program.  May said wanna do a 10K, I said yes.....we did a 10K *grin* I'm really bad at following someone elses program.  I like to do it on my own.  I'm kinda mule-ish that way

Madeye/Steve, its funny you bring up cadence.  My friend Sheila ran the 10K with us.  Shes a hoss Navy LTJG (soon to me nuc).  When I wanted to quit running she threatened me with cadence.  I think she falls into the never wants to hear another cadence in her life category.

I just added radio/MP3 player to my Christmas List.  That would probably help me a lot!

Thanks again everyone!!

Sometimes it about where you run.  I find that off road is usually more satisfying than running through town and traffic.  Maybe you could find some trail runs that connect with road in your area.  It makes for a nicer run.

Evelyn