Motivational Mondays (Feb. 2)

It's Monday morning. Yay. Forgive me if I can't feign more excitement over it.

Although I don't have a typical 9-to-5 job, I dislike Mondays as much as the next person. Weekends are always enjoyable of course and Monday puts an unceremonious end to all of that.

So I am finding it difficult to get motivated today. Not sure why. I think the case of the Mondays has hit hard today. Sometimes, when I find it hard to get started and get going, I try and look back at some of what I've accomplished in recent days.

A week ago I officially started my half-marathon training and had some mixed results. I started the week off with a three-mile run on Tuesday and had a good Wednesday fartlek run as well. Thursday I had a run scheduled but didn't make it out to do it. Although I felt I had run enough during my four games and combined 170 minutes of refereeing on Thursday, I still didn't get the sustained mileage and time that a run would have.

I had a 6-mile run scheduled for Saturday and a 2-mile run for Sunday, but had to switch days because two soccer games on Saturday prevented me from running six miles. I did have a bit of a triumph on Saturday that I didn't have the chance to share. I ran two miles at 5:30 a.m. Now, two miles isn't a tremendously long distance but I hadn't run in the early morning like that for many months. I felt good and felt like I could have run longer so it gives me hope that I can fit in 2-3 mile runs in the early a.m. on both weekdays and weekends.

Sunday I ran 4.74 miles, not the six that I should have, but it was a strenuous 4.74 miles if that helps. I did also feel like I could have kept going although I did feel a bit queasy towards the end of the run. I ran at about 12:30, 1 p.m. or so and don't usually like to run smack in the middle of the day like that so I think my body was just off a little. But it's all good, though, as I completed the run and completed my first week of training.

All told, I ran about 13 miles or so and more importantly I was able to squeeze in runs on four days during a busy part of the high school soccer season. My legs feel a little shot but I'm taking today to rest from running before I have to ref a girls game tonight.

Anyway, even when you have a case of the blahs like I do, looking back at your accomplishments with an eye toward the future can be motivating. I'll let you know if it inspires me at some point today.