Posts in the Motivation Category at , Page 8

Where the Magic REALLY Happens

Posted on February 25, 2014 by Cait — 8 Comments ↓

Bippidity Boppity…moooove over, Magic Wand, these running shoes are far more magical. 🙂

running princess cartoon
And we don’t need no glass slippers either! Talk about a major injury hazard…who comes up with this stuff?!?! 😉

Personally I like my running fairy tales a bit better with some sweat, endorphins, miles, and runnerchicks and runnerdudes. Speaking of Princesses, no one’s been able to peel me out of my favorite new running shirt yet. 😉

1) What running shoes are you in love with right now?
2) Do you have pretty pick feet?
3) Where was the last awesome place your magic running feet took you?

Monday Morning Running Motivation

Posted on February 23, 2014 by Cait — 4 Comments ↓

Live to dream. Live to run.
live to dream motivation
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More Morning Running Motivation Art

An Injured Runner’s Psyche: The Sybil Effect

Posted on February 19, 2014 by Cait — 6 Comments ↓

I’m a runner, I’m injured, I’m not held accountable for my actions.
injured runner art
I’m pretty sure this would hold up in court. A runner deprived of their endorphins isn’t quite themselves. Be warned, handle their delicate psyche with care…

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Staying POSITIVE through an injury is the only way to get through it…my post HERE is all about that.

#epicfailWIN: Why failures rock

Posted on February 16, 2014 by Cait — 9 Comments ↓

Runners can never, ever fear ‘failure’. In fact, failures are NOT a bad thing. To fail means that you set a high enough goal. You stepped outside your comfort zone, you DREAMED you could achieve something great.

Failures are often the most powerful learning tools. Bad race, horrendous workout…you have to not only experience them you have to FORCE yourself to get through them. Soak up the experience, actually feel how much that suckiness that was.

Take those sucky feelings and channel them into:
motivation
determination
confidence.

#epicfailWIN picture

Confidence, you say? Yes, confidence.

A runner who pushes through when things really suck should be brimming with confidence. It’s way too easy to run an amazing workout when your legs feel like gold. To have a phenomenal race when it happens to be one of those ‘magic days’. Magic days are the exception, legs that feel like they’re running on clouds are the rarity.

To grit out a workout and keep your mind IN THE RACE when things are tough, that is mental toughness. The same goes for obstacles and challenges you didn’t expect, sudden curve balls that really test you. Get through them, keep moving forward. Those experiences, those trials, the hard times, even when you put in your best effort and the clock is brutally honest…THOSE are necessary to build a strong runner.

You survive knowing you still put in your best and never mentally gave up when things get tough, and that should give you the most confidence in the world. Those should make you think, “Look, I got through it and stayed tough when I felt like crap. Just imagine how well I’m going to run when my body and my legs feel GREAT.”

Redefine failure in your mind. After a bad workout or race, yes, you are allowed to be miffed, to be peeved. But channel all of that into a productive mindset. Rather than think as a defeatist, use the burning embers of anger as fuel for motivation and determination. Then look for any lessons you can learn from the race. (Did you go out too fast…again?? Wise up! haha)

Then COME BACK. The only time a failure SHOULD make you embarassed is if it’s the end of your road. You give up and stop your story right there.

I want you to now share with me YOUR epic fails turned epic wins. Share your stories about an obstacle you faced, overcame, and came out a stronger runner and person because of it. Tell me also about your epic fail of a race, and either tell me how you came back later to make it a ‘redemption race’ epic win…OR…if you just had this epic fail tell me how you’re going to use that in a way to reach an epic win.

You can blog about, post a picture, make some artage (you know how much I’d really love that!) and then tweet me @caitlinchock with the hashtag #epicfailWIN and a link to your epic fail win moment/story/picture/etc.

So, Runner Friends, embrace your failures because they make you stronger.

1) You know what to do, get to gather your epic fail win moment…I can’t wait to hear all about them! #epicfailWIN

Sunday Morning Running Motivation

Posted on February 15, 2014 by Cait — 6 Comments ↓

Go. Run. Be strong.

running motivation art

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More Sunday Morning Running Motivation and traditional MOTIVATION posts.
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1) What’s motivating YOU this morning?
2) Anyone race this weekend?
3) What is a mental mantra you like to think of to keep you running strong?

Running: Brought to you by dreams of pancakes and carbs

Posted on February 14, 2014 by Cait — 10 Comments ↓

That long run brought to you by dreams of PaNcAkeS!!! Or insert your favorite post-run food there. Actually, you can swap out the long run for a race. Scratch that you can preeeetty much just swap that out for any run. Any distance…any food. #runners #workforit #reward #bait ??
run for pancakes
While us runners certainly can eat more than a football team, amongst those pancakes, Pop-Tarts, burgers, fries, milk shakes, etc…we DO know that in order to run our best we need to fuel our best.

The beautiful thing though, is that eating to PERFORM doesn’t mean you can’t have your cake and eat your apples too. It’s all about balance. There are some KEY elements that all runners in training should be mindful of:

* Protein: getting enough and timing that intake
* 30 Minute Recovery: eating protein and carbs within 30 minutes of finishing a run
* Healthy Picks: insert your fruits, veggies, whole grains, quality carbs here
* Vitamins and other nutrients: IRON is sooo important for runners and ensuring they get enough!
* Hydration: it’s crucial runners ensure they drink enough fluids and more than just water, replacing those electrolytes too

But it’s ALL about balance, and even professional distance runners are allowed their cookies and burgers too. Hey, when you’re burning all dem calories you earn those treats!

This post comes in step with my latest article over on Running Times: “The Power of Protein Timing”

Good luck to all those racing, and to everyone else go out there and get your run on…enjoy every sweaty mile!! 🙂

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More posts all about how to eat to fuel your running and preform your best HERE!
Highlighting living in the real world and eating post: “How runners can stuff their faces at restaurants but still perform at their best”
More Cartoons and laughs HERE!
Tomorrow are the USA Cross Champs and here is one more recent article highlighting HTS Elite runners there tomorrow: RunBlogRun – Taking Boulder Back: HTS Elite looks to make this the distance runner’s power city once again
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1) What’s your ‘drool dream’ food while running?
2) How do you keep track of your protein intake and ensuring you get enough?
3) How do you track your fruits and veggies and make sure you’re getting enough?

A Special Running Valentine

Posted on February 13, 2014 by Cait — 4 Comments ↓

Whether single or alone, you can always find love.
runner finds love
Okay, Happy Valentine’s Day…whether you find this a jank holiday or not probably has more to do with your relationship status than anything else. But we can all agree that the love between a runner and their legs is something sacred. To be cherished and adored, to be respected and never taken for granted.

Love what your runner body can DO for you, that it’s far more powerful than merely something hot and pretty to look at.
runner feet hearts
Be grateful for the incredible way a body can adapt and repair itself…build it stronger.

Celebrate the rush of endorphins.

If love is making your heart race…look no further.

Be you loving your legs in pairs or rocking solo, grab a chocolate heart and bite it’s flipping head off…you ran, you deserve it!! 😉

[Hearts may not have a head, but you get the picture.]

1) Finish this sentence: I love my legs and today I will show them that love by…
Forcing them to run. They know they like it…bwahahaha.
2) How are you treating your legs right so they rebuild and repair?
Stretching, Baby!
3) Favorite chocolate treat?
Any and all. S’mores Pop-Tarts are always a choice I fully endorse!

The Game of Four: Runner lies and self-deception

Posted on February 12, 2014 by Cait — 9 Comments ↓

When my legs are REALLY tired they can only manage thinking of my run in 1/4 mile increments. So I play this game in my head where I count to 4. One…two…three…four. Yay, we’re done!! Well, no, the cycle just starts again.
runner lies
Don’t bag on the formula, it works; yesterday’s 9-miler was brought to you by the ‘count to four’ method. Oh us silly runners and our mind games. 😉

You want another peek into my crazy? Well the the little game gets better because I don’t look at my Garmin during my easy runs. I’ve told you guys, easy runs should be EASY…and not to get sucked into getting overly competitive on our easy days, or mad at yourself if the times are slow. I’m not quite brave enough to go fully naked (aka watchless) so my compromise is I let the Garmin beep my miles but I don’t look at the splits.

So then I make this whole 1/4 thing into an even MORE fun guessing game. I picture myself on a track and then think, “Hmmm, I definitely think it’s been a lap. One. Now we’re getting close to two laps I bet. Two…etc.” So I try to predict the 4th beep and see how close I can get.

Yes, this whole, entire game is purely a distraction. It’s crazy, mostly senseless…but aren’t all of us runners just that?? 😉

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My latest article “Master of the Treadmill Workout: HTS Elite Coach Brad Hudson shares his keys to making your indoor workouts count” up on RunBlogRun. If you HATE winter weather and are trapped on the treadmill, check out some AWESOME workouts from one Mr. Brad Hudson and you’ll see the results. 🙂
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1) What’s a funny game you play running?
2) If you try my cool new runner game, let me know what you think! 😉
3) What’s a treadmill workout you do?

No Sissies on the Track

Posted on February 10, 2014 by Cait — 8 Comments ↓

Please clear the track, we’ve got some runners coming through, and they’re taking care of business!!
no sissies on the track

Running is not a sport for the excuse-makers of the world. It takes lots of motivation and dedication to improve, but the glorious thing about that is the power to get better is RIGHT there, in your hands (eeerr…feet?), and within your control.

In a sport where work ethic is more important than your height, shoe size, or inborn talent, the mentally tough, refuse-to-give up runners are the ones who come out on top. And after all, it’s watching those kind of runners overcome obstacles and odds that in turn inspires US to follow our own goals. Dream bigger than our running shoes and put in the work.

*Cue the African Safari Music* “It’s the circle of runner-life.” *Bamboo lifts your racing shoes to the heavens above.*

Running is also a state of mind. It’s mental. I’ve had people call me a jogger, and I joke about being heinously offended. Then I’ve had people be offended that I’m offended about the j-word. Like I’m a runner ‘snob’ or sometimes people feel judged saying, “I’m not a runner, I’m not fast enough to be a runner.”

In both of those instances, my reply is the same:
* The difference between a runner and a jogger ISN’T pace, mileage, or numbers related.
* Earning ‘runner’ status is in the mind, the spirit, the dedication.

You’re a runner if you LOVE it.
You’re a jogger if you feel ‘forced into it’, like it’s a chore, or you’re only doing this to lose weight.

Runners are self-motivated and if anything have to have someone else beat/talk ‘sense’ into us at times, to hold us back, learn the times when not to run.
Joggers aren’t all that worried about skipping days. They celebrate any ‘excuse’ not to go jogging.

Joggers aren’t hung up on injuries, again, “I hurt my toe…welp, I don’t have to go the gym!! YAY!!”
Runners go through mental torture and endorphin withdrawals. Injuries are about the closest to h*ll that we can get.

So you see, me NOT wanting to be called a jogger isn’t being a snob. It’s just that I know I’m a runner in spirit. And others, regardless of their pace or point in their running life journey thing, shouldn’t force the jogging title on themselves.

As a runner, you’re a runner. You know it. You can’t lose your running license during injuries or setbacks.

You’re only NOT a runner the day you decide to stop. Until then, keep on running, My Friends!

1) What is one of your criterium for being a runner?
2) Do you get offended being called a jogger?
3) Do you care either which way at all? hehe.

Monday Morning Running Motivation

Posted on February 9, 2014 by Cait — Leave a reply

I’m not defined solely by my running, but you can bet for darn sure I like myself better as a runner.
running motivational art

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In case you missed it on Instagram, I’m wearing my latest design in running shirts and I think they’ll have to bury me in it. 🙂 You can get your running princess shirts HERE!

More Morning Running Inspiration
Get some race tips HERE
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1) What’s got you motivated and inspired this morning?
2) What were your weekend running plans? Racers?
3) What’s your favorite running shirt this moment?