Exercise

I Want To Quit…


Last week about this time, I was on my typical Friday LONG run, training for my first ever marathon. For those of you who don’t know, I’m working a little #CouchToMarathon thing right now. Last February I had major abdominal surgery as a result of stage four endometriosis, so…that wiped me out for months. As a goal to come out of that was to do a “bucket list” thing: Run a full Marathon (26.2 miles)

So….back to where I started….Last Friday. Long Run. I was set to do a two hour run. I was totally stoked. Had the music picked out. Water bottles frozen – yeah I live in the desert, they thaw very fast – so I was ready to go.

Started out slow…gained some momentum eventually, and the high carried me through about ninety minutes. Then…I kinda started feeling it. What made things worse–the timing was such that I was going to finish UP HILL.

**UGH**

Now, this isn’t a major hill, mind you, but after an hour and forty-five minutes of constant running ANY incline feels like mount Everest.

I’m at the 1 hr 55 min mark. FIVE MINUTES LEFT….

And I so wanted to quit.

Like, REALLY bad.

You might be thinking, but you’ve gone an hour and fifty-five minutes, what’s five more?

Oh….it felt like another mountain.

You know what song came on at that exact time?

One that was just perfect for me to say, “Okay, just a few more minutes. Go. Go. Go.”

Some will laugh at which song kicked my sorry butt out of that “I want to quit” frame of mind, but here it is:

CRAZY, right? But Cyndi’s energy–you know, she’s always jumping around, enthusiastic…I pictured this video and just smiled.

Then the movie Girls Just Want To Have Fun came into my mind.

A girl fighting for her dream to dance. Facing obstacles…Okay, it’s a corny movie, but I was delirious after nearly two hours of running.

Needless to say, I finished. **woot**

Nearly halfway toward the goal of running a marathon. I wonder what crazy song or movie will jump into my head when I most need it on my next long run because that one will be about two hours and fifteen minutes **YIKES**

What kind of things motivate you guys? Get you “over the hump” when you’re in a slump? Any favorite songs? Movies? Anyone ever take on a goal that seems…so far out of reach? How’d you reach it? Do tell!!

NYT & USA Today Bestseller & ultra-runner known as #TheRunningWriter. Agents: Joyce Sweeney & Nicole Resciniti of The Seymour Agency.

2 Comments

  • Alex J. Cavanaugh

    Good for you! I’m sure an anthill would’ve felt like a mountain at that point.
    A fast beat keeps me going, along with crunchy guitars, so I listen to a lot of hard rock and metal when I run.

  • Kitt Crescendo

    Awww. I LOVED that movie…cheesy as it was. 😉 I mean, seriously. Young Helen Hunt? Young Sarah Jessica Parker? Young Jonathan Silverman? Young Shannon Dougherty? It’s always a blast to see where they came from. For me…when I hit a workout slump I need hard, angry rock. Nine Inch Nails album Pretty Hate Machine used to work…or if I needed something more fun, Once Bitten, Twice Shy by Great White or Shook Me All Night Long by AC/DC were known to do the trick. Remember The Titans is a movie that can get me fired up…and most other sports movies like it.