On October 24th, I will turn the big 50, and to celebrate, I thought it was a sign that I should sign up for the BMW Dallas 50th Marathon and run the 50K. Although we are in the middle of a pandemic, with the help of my lifelong endurance coaches, I was able to keep my focus on this epic event by establishing my base mileage, a comfortable training pace in the Texas heat, and logging over 100 hundred miles during the summer months. As of September 30th the race was still scheduled to be live, but the hammer dropped today (October 1st), and just like all the other races, the event has gone virtual for December and live the weekend of April 30th-May2nd (Sad Face). I was very disappointed to read the email because there is no way I'm going to run 31 miles virtually.

The race is canceled, students and teachers (me) have returned to campus, which is a bit stressful, and the holidays are around the corner. Now the big question is, how will I stay motivated to keep running? Are you asking yourself the same question? If so, I have a few suggestions, so keep reading.

Find you're "Why"

Your Why is the thing that inspires you and those around you. When I started my running journey, my Why was to complete all my races (half marathons) in under 2.5 hours and to set a new PR whenever possible. Now that I have been on my run journey for several years, my Why has changed and now my Why is to help others become the best runner or the healthiest person they can be. Knowing your Why will help you to stay motivated when life changes your plans.

Accountability Partner

An accountability partner is that person who encourages you to move daily. My mother is 69 years old, and several years ago, I encouraged her to start running/walking. She was already riding her bike daily, but I felt she would enjoy participating in racing, and I was correct. Her first race was the Pumpkin Spice in Dallas, Texas, where she placed in her group. After having a partial knee replacement and then a full knee replacement on the same knee, she is still walking. We hold each other accountable to our daily movement, not a pace, not a specific number of miles but forward movement every day by calling to check and see the other has hit the pavement or the treadmill for the day.

Accept the Challenge

Many fitness apps like Nike premium and Pelton offered free subscriptions during the pandemic, allowing fitness lovers to try the featured classes. The apps also provide challenges that focus on specific areas of fitness. By participating in some of the fitness challenges such as Crush Your Core on Pelton, and Yoga Flex & Flow on Nike, I was able to follow a calendar that offered a different workout each day. If you are anything like me, I enjoy the feeling of checking boxes to show that I completed the activity of the day.

Well, I think I answered my question of ways to stay motivated due to the cancellation of live races and my new busy schedule, continue to focus on my "Why," stay accountable with mom and sign up for a new challenge Pelton or Nike.