What's your motivation?

Some people love working out - like my boss, for example, who often goes on 2 hour bike rides at 4AM in the morning with those headlight helmets. And that's on a work day! I am not one of those people. I don't necessarily hate it either... the hard part is getting me out there. Once I'm in my workout clothes and in the gym or out for a run, I am fully committed.

I like having this marathon goal because it keeps me honest about my workouts - for the most part anyway. Before I started my training, I would go weeks without exercising at all. Bad Audrey. Maybe I don't work out as often as I'd like, but I'm not doing too bad. Even in the laziest of weeks, I'm still working out at least three days of the week - better than nothing, right? :) And without fail, I've managed to always make the Nike club runs on Saturday mornings. Only because I know there is no way I could manage double digit distances on my own.

If you need some motivation, here are some interesting tidbits from a Men's Health article, 20 Ways to Stick with Your Workout. This was obviously written with guys in mind, because there are some that I know guys do, but I don't often see with girls (see #2, "Make a friendly bet"). I am an example of #1, "Sign up for a distant race".

I found the last one particularly funny:

20. Blackmail yourself

Take a picture of yourself shirtless, holding a sign that shows your e-mail address. Then e-mail it to a trusted but sadistic friend, with the following instructions: "If I don't send you a new picture that shows serious improvement in 12 weeks, post this photo at hotornot.com and send the link to the addresses listed below... " (Include as many e-mail addresses—especially of female acquaintances—as possible.) "It's nasty, but extremely effective," says Alwyn Cosgrove.