Committing

quote

""Motivation is temporary.  Achievement results from sacrifice & grinding out hard work when you would rather do something else.""

I read this quote on a blog, don't know who wrote it, but it reminds me of the sort of thing lots of folks say. The comments you see out there on facebook memes trying to inspire you and all that. And it makes me think several thoughts.

- Why are you doing the training if you would rather be doing something else?
- The quote and the way people say similar things seems to imply that doing that which is needed to be done to be successful in a super kick ass physical undertaking is something that isn't to be enjoyed, but it's enjoyment is secondary to the enjoyment of the training process.
- I kinda really like training, and feel I like it even more every day. Yes, I feel like I can do more, and I am still adjusting to other things in life to figure out how to maximise my time, to get me more time to be able to train. The little things of adjusting to new work, like actually having to cook dinner and lunch becuase I don't work at a restaurant anymore, cuts into my traiining time. Slowing cutting down the amount of time I play the video games; an old habit I'm trying to kick. Why I can't just put it in the box and/or just get rid of it I don't know. But every month I play it less. So thats good.
- So far this month I"m at 295 km. If I run the schedule I"m planning I should break 400 for January, that will be my most distance in a month ever, and will probably end up getting in my most elevation gain for a month ever too. I'm running a slower average pace this january than last january, that's a little on purpose because I'm trying to run more slow and steady with the 100 mile race in mind. But also, kamloops has had more snowfall than usual (or so I heard on the radio one morning), and last year in january I was running a lot more on roads, and at the gym at school compared to this year mostly all trails, rough trails. I want to be doing more, I'm trying to do more. But I'm also trying to be cautious in my increasing of the volume. Sometimes knowing that I am doing more than before is a nice reminder that I am getting stronger, and not to over do it and out run my current overall capabilities, but at the same time.... push push push!
-  Commitment: What level of commitment is required to achieve the goals one puts in front of them? To directly speak on the question of sacrifices and the quote I brought up at the beginning. The goal of running a 100 mile trail race, I feel that's kind of a big deal. The fact that I've attempted it twice last year and failed both times reminds of this. It takes a whole lot of work to get yourself ready for this. And a lot of time. A plan was set in place, and this plan doesn't really leave much other time. Sometimes other things come up that you would like to do. For example,  ice hockey. Super fun, I love it, I grew up playing it. Just sitting taping up the stick getting ready, the smell of the rink and the dressing rooms, the sight of the zamboni laying down a fresh sheet of ice brings up wonderful feelings, almost romantic nostalgia. Getting together with the guys, getting on the ice, just givin er hard, tearing it up the ice, breakaways, goals, deking out the goalie and scoring. So fun. But the time required to do it?! How do you fit it into your planned week? Last week I wanted to get in about 13-14 hours running. But with hockey on friday and basketball on monday that took 3 hours of exercise; do you run less? Do you purposely change your runs. Sometimes you have to change your runs because running on saturday morning after a hard game of hockey isn't quite as easy as it should be. So what? I run less because I play hockey, but I know that I to be successful in my long term major goal I shouldn't be doing other things. Hockey: risk of injury, cuts into running time, reduced rest days, altered schedule not able to get in the type/variety of runs per week. So what? Stop activities that aren't to do with running because it impacts the overall goal. I think so. I enjoy the shit out of the running anyway, I have major goals.
- Having said all this. My plan of running easier in the summer is still going to be in full effect. Yes I super enjoy the training, and I will still be training per say in the summer. But there will be more adventure put into the run, weekends will be spent traveling - sleeping in the van to run in the mountains in various provincial parks. And it will be good.