Motivation

 Hi. My name is Tammy Nuxoll, and I am the final guest blogger in Alicia's motivation series. I am a 41 year old mother of a high school freshman and a seventh grader (man time flies). I have played sports all of my life and have always worked out for the sport I participated in at the time. When sports were over after college, I felt I deserved a "break." I quickly learned it is hard to come back after a "break" and I needed to make exercise a daily part of my life.

I wish I could say that I'm a work-out-aholic like Alicia (and some others that I run with:)) Their motivation and commitment to fitness is amazing. I, on the other hand, find myself really motivated at times, but there are also times when I hit a fitness slump and find myself not exercising or eating as well as I should. When my pants don't fit right or the scale reaches too far beyond where I want it to be I start back again and think, "Why do I let myself go back to bad habits. If I would just stick to it, I would feel so much better." When I lose focus on my health and fitness, I have found a few techniques to get me back on track:

1) Set Goals-I remember when my youngest child, Maddie, was about three years old. I had not lost any of my baby weight, and I was the heaviest I had been in my life. I decided it was time to do something, so I put on my XL t-shirt, doubled up on the sports bras and wore my husband's shorts. I was extremely winded as I ran/walked (mostly walked) one lap around my neighborhood. As a former college athlete, I was depressed about the shape I was in. Thankfully, I'm pretty competitive so I just started to set small goals for myself. I would try to walk less each time I ran and slowly I increased my distance. Once I started adding miles, I decided to set a bigger goal of running the Louisville Triple Crown which included a mini-marathon.Signing up for events is now a huge motivator for me. Once I have paid my entry fee, there is no turning back because I don't want to waste money, "die" or "look stupid" in the process of completing it. Setting fitness goals has allowed me to complete several mini-marathons, three marathons and two Warrior Dash runs. I am really proud when I set a fitness goal and accomplish it.

Setting goals not only helps me with my fitness goals, but also my eating habits. About the time I started running, I realized that I needed help making healthy food choices. I started attending Weight Watchers, and it really helped. The program helped me learn about making healthy choices and taught me how to set goals to lose weight. I will admit that I have had to return to Weight Watchers a few times to get me back on track when I hit those "unhealthy" slumps, but when I set goals for myself I quickly get back on track and feel much better about myself. You can do it too!! Set small goals at first and "Just Do It!"

2) Fitness Friends-I would not be able to meet my goals if I didn't have "like-minded" friends to keep me going. My running friends are amazing. We are all extremely busy people, who have "extra" jobs beyond our main work, and have kids that participate in after school activities. Last Spring, I was in one of my slumps. I wanted to exercise, but I was either too tired when I got home from work, got home after dark or had to have the kids at an event. Some of my running friends were meeting before work in the morning, but I didn't think I could meet that early, get the kids ready for school and arrive to work on time. When my friends found out I wanted to start running early, they started meeting at my house at 5:30 a.m. and we haven't looked back since. We met all summer and continue to meet two to three times a week for our early morning runs. I never thought I could get up that early and run, but now that I do I feel amazing. I am getting my exercise finished before work, and I do not have to worry about fitting it in and taking time away from my family. I feel like I am more productive at work and have a better outlook on life.

 I know it sounds like we are all just "happy runners," but it's not always that way. There are days when I do not want to wake up early, but I can't let my friends down by not meeting them. There are also mornings when one of us feels sluggish. If we were by ourselves, we would probably quit early, but there is always someone who pushes us to finish the run.

Try to find a fitness friend that will meet you at the gym for an exercise class, a run or a walk. Having a workout partner makes you more accountable.

Luckily, for me, I am in a "good" place right now in my fitness life. I just finished an 18 1/2 mile run this morning! I know that sounds crazy, and I don't normally run that far, but I have set a goal of running my fourth marathon in a few weeks. There is no way I could meet this goal without my friends training with me. 

You can do it too!!! Set a goal, find a friend or two, and get started today:)