The Secret to Exercise Motivation

I've discovered it!  More on that later.

So, I've been stressing all day about finding something to write about in my blog...something that isn't already being written about in 250 aspiring-writer blogs around the net.  But, you know what?  There is nothing.  We all write and rewrite about the same things.

And that's fine.  I still enjoy reading about it because each person brings their own perspective to the topic. I just...didn't feel like I had a perspective on anything today.  So...you're getting this instead!

It's way less momentous than it sounds.

Today, in my regular run at the gym, I managed to clock over 7 minutes at 7.5 miles an hour.  From a person who is lucky to make it 10 minutes at 4.5 mph without a walking break, this was a major major breakthrough.

What was the key?  These guys.  I had seen them last fall during the Cultural Olympiad and was completely transfixed through the whole performance.  So, I bought their cd.  I rarely listened to it - apart from one instance where I used it as inspiration for a battle scene I was writing.  For some reason, I dredged it up today before my run and put it on top volume (well okay, top safe volume.  I couldn't go through 18 months of audiology classes and still blast my music!).

As I ran, I imagined myself in one of the awesome battle scenes in my own novel.  I pictured running at and attacking opponents.  I pictured my favourite warrior characters running alongside me.  This may sound ridiculous (and disturbingly violent?), but it WORKED!  It worked so well that I was giddy and had a huge smile on my face as I ran.  The people at my gym must think I'm crazy.  I might have even laughed out loud with glee.  I don't know; I was too wrapped up in the battle. :)

I probably could have kept up the pace for even longer, but my eyes started to sting and I panicked, thinking I might be going blind.  hah.  So I came home and uh...rested my eyes while writing this blog. :)

What keeps you guys running?