Motivation

I recently got a comment from fellow 3-day walker Jen asking about motivation to keep walking and training.

Leanne-- I love how motivated you are to keep your training up!! I'm a first time walker, walking DC in October. What do you use to get you motivated? I know that I'm in no kind of physical shape (over 200lbs at 5ft 4in) to be walking 60 miles, but I just can't get myself motivated to walk all those miles by myself and my teammates are no help. So, what's your secret?! Anything will help!!

I love Jen's honesty because maintaining motivation is INCREDIBLY challenging for any walker. 24 weeks is a long time to continue doing the same thing day in and day out. I've been thinking about this comment since I received it and want to address this not only for Jen and other first time walkers, but for seasoned walkers as well...and for myself!!

Motivation waxes and wanes. I go through seasons where I am incredibly motivated (like when the weather is gorgeous and I'm not very busy at work!) and walk daily. Then when things get busy and it gets hot out, I am not nearly as motivated and need to find new tricks to get my butt in gear.

Here's what I do to stay motivated:

1. Motivation by sheer force. I force myself to walk. If my plan is to walk in the morning, I don't bother taking a shower or putting on clothes, I stumble out of bed and get my workout clothes on before my brain even has time to register. I schedule my walks into my day. My work/play schedule is different every day, so I do not have a set walking time everyday. I look at the week as a whole and schedule a walk every day or every other day. When I have a few hours, I go for longer walks. When I only have 30 minutes, I go for shorter walks. Getting out the door is the biggest battle.
2. Motivation by peer pressure. I now have the incredible luxury of walking with my sister. We encourage each other and hold each other accountable. Before she moved down the street, I needed outside sources to hold me accountable. Tell someone you are going for a walk and then do it. I tell my husband in the morning, "Tonight, when I get home, I'm going for a walk. Make sure I do it." And he does. Don't live with someone else? Call a friend and ask him/her to be your accountability buddy. Tell them they need to ask you about your walk, how far you went, etc. Pick someone that you will feel bad letting down, someone that will motivate you to reach your goals.
3. Motivation by reward. I'm all about rewards. I motivate myself to do all kinds of things based on rewards. I've heard diet and health experts say never to use food to motivate yourself, but I do. If rewards motivate you, use them to motivate yourself to walk. I will often tell myself, "when I get home I can..." Lay on the couch and watch a show. Eat a cookie. Go to bed early. Sleep in for 15 minutes in the morning. Take a long shower. Whatever your reward is, use that to motivate yourself to walk and take your reward after you walk!
4. Motivation by enticement. This is another one that has always worked for me. When I was in high school I was an avid rollerblader and I would buy a new CD as encouragement to rollerblade for 84 minutes so that I could listen to the whole thing. (This was the era post walkman and pre-ipod.) Now I listen to podcasts that entice me to keep walking. Podcasts are completely free to download and exist on every topic you can imagine. I love theology so I listen to sermons and youth ministry podcasts. I also catch the Dave Ramsey Show 5 days a week and listen to his podcast. If you like music, borrow some new tunes from a friend and pound the pavement. This also goes for those of you treadmill walkers. Find a good TV show or movie and walk while you watch. Time will fly by much quicker if your mind is occupied!
5. Motivation of last resort. I have found that if I do not have a destination to walk to, I'll turn around after 10 minutes and go home. I have plotted several loops from my house. I have two 3 mile loops, a 4 mile loop, a 5 mile loop, and an 8 mile loop. I combine these to make longer training walks as necessary. I use the Daily Mile to track my loops. I have also found that these loops provide some variety in what can be a very monotonous habit. 

Those are my big five. Certainly there are other motivating factors like new clothes, gorgeous weather, staying healthy, and generally being active. I would love to hear what keeps YOU motivated to continue walking even after 20 weeks, even when it is hot/cold/rainy/humid!