Guess where I heard the quote “Inspire to be Inspired”? Soul Cycle, of course! Am I becoming a broken record about how much I love it there?
My training plan called for an easy 3 miles, which in theory was amazing after yesterday’s long run. Unfortunately, this is what mother nature had in store for Tuesday:
Since the weather made running outside anything but appealing, I made my way to the gym for a dreaded treadmill workout. No matter how hard I try, it just is not a cardio machine that I think I could ever love (if I ever change my mind, I’ll look back to this post for fond memories of being a wimp about the gym). I’ve seen a lot of treadmill challenges, games and intervals, which I think could definitely help make it more enjoyable, but for tonight Ahnzie and I were on a mission to do a quick workout so we could make our way up to Katelyn’s apartment.
I tried everything possible to keep myself from looking at the distance on the treadmill. I covered it with my magazine; tried to close my eyes for a second, but that became dangerous quickly; looked out the window onto Park Ave., but there wasn’t much going on; flipped through songs on my phone to find the one that would kick my butt while also distracting me; and after all my failed attempts I looked down and saw that I had only completed 1.13 miles! I still had 2.87 to go before I could make a check mark on my training schedule. I started to feel a little bit defeated and baffled. Why was it close to impossible for me to get through 3 miles on a treadmill if I love running 3 miles outside?
And then I thought of the Soul Cycle instructor from class last week. When we were “climbing hills” he said “Inspire to be Inspired.” I’m going to take artistic license on this one and share how I have interpreted this, and why I think it really got me to finish the 3 miles that I was hating. I interpreted this in two ways. First, I think on an intrapersonal level, when we push through and past our limits we are proving to ourselves that we are capable of more than we thought, and therefore, inspiring ourselves to achieve more each time we face similar challenges. And second, on an interpersonal level, I think that people, runners, bloggers, etc. inspire each other and then ultimately feel inspired in return. On the second point, I owe much of my running enthusiasm to all of you! When I read blog posts about someone having a great run, or someone having a difficult run and pushing through it, I feel inspired to do the same. So thank you to anyone sharing their running stories, you have inspired me!
Although it felt like a lot of thought was going into analyzing “Inspire to be Inspired” while I was working my way up to the 3 miles, I still managed to complete that thought with plenty of time left on the mill… so then I also got to thinking about why I like group fitness classes so much. As I was forcing myself to stay on a machine that I don’t fully appreciate, I realized sometimes it’s nice having someone else to force you to make it through the workout. It’s not like I would ever stop halfway through a class and end my workout. So for my remaining minutes on the treadmill, I switched on my favorite song from spinning, tried to fall into a zone, and I pretended someone else was forcing me to finish.
With running, I think what it really comes down to is realizing you have it in you to kick your own butt – every workout may not be as enjoyable as the last, but once you complete it, I can guarantee you will feel inspired to get back out there the next day, too.
What I’m Running to: Reverie- First State feat. Sarah Howells
Fueled by Endorphins 
8 responses to “Inspire to be Inspired”
LOL I do ALL those same tricks with the distance thing on the treadmill..every which way to hide it – never makes it anymore fun. 😀 haha
Glad you stuck it out!
This so sounds like me yesterday. I really had to push through the discomfort in my feet from my Vibrams, and I hate how slow I feel on the mill.
LOL I also hate the treadmill! I havent found a trick to make me hate it less yet…congrats on pushing through
I usually don't like the tm either, but on days when it's 10 degrees, then I'm thankful for it! A lot of times I will cover up the screen, so I can't see how far I've run. That way when I do look at it, I'm usually pleasantly surprised! Great job on getting it done!!
It's so much harder mentally! If you pick up any good tricks let me know!
Wow! You ran in Vibrams in this weather? Is there snow on the ground yet? My feet have been cold in socks and sneakers lately, I can't imagine running in Vibrams right now. Good job pushing through!
Thanks so much! I hope we can all come up with something because this cold weather seems to be lasting.
Thank you very much! I need to be better about covering up the screen. I get tempted to peek, so even though I start with it covered, I look before I've gone anywhere. I like that you mentioned that you are thankful for the treadmill when it's cold. That's a great perspective. I'm going to try to remember that for my next treadmill run.