Winter Motivation

There are highs and lows of living in Indiana. I have no strong feelings for or against snow- it’s kind of pretty, it’s kind of a pain, it’s better when you have nowhere to go, and I have warm enough coats/gloves/hats/scarves to tolerate a sledding trip. But I have nothing nice to say about how dark it is. It is dark alllll the time. It’s dark in the morning, it’s dark in the evening, it’s nearly dark in the afternoon. And the darkness is what makes running so hard.

I was worried about my running this winter. Worried more than previous winters. I had been running with a friend for the last few years, and that friendship had fizzled, and I knew I was facing running alone for the first time in a long time. How in the world would I keep myself going when the going gets dark?

I knew myself well enough to know I needed a goal. I had been running pretty much year-round for the last 5 or 6 years. Would this be the winter I stopped? I didn’t want it to be, so I needed to take drastic measures.

And there’s nothing more drastic than a marathon.

I knew if I had a spring full, I would HAVE to keep running. Cause you can’t fake a marathon. I mean, at least I can’t.

I also knew myself well enough that my treadmill days were over. I just can’t do it anymore. If you’re a treadmill runner or walker, RESPECT. I just can’t do it.

My solution for the darkness has been a little 1/8 mile indoor track at a local gym. Crazy? Yes. There’s nothing pretty about running 10 miles in 80+ ovals. It’s laughable, really. But it’s also a steady temperature and well-lit starting at 5am on the weekdays. So I bought a punch card and have been trudging along when it was too icy or windy or just too dang dark to run outside. And guess what?

I’m still moving.

RUN JOG WALK is written 4 times on the track, so by my calculations, I’ve stepped on/over it ~1 billion times this winter.