Motivation

A year ago, at this time, I made myself a bead bracelet at work with the teens.  I chose black, red, and clear because those were the colors of the new Asics running shoes I had my eye on.  They were my goal shoes and I was "earning" them as I lost weight and was able to run longer distances.  I wore my bracelet every day to remind myself of not only my goal to buy new shoes, but the Red Rock Relay and half-marathon looming in the future. 

The day I went to buy those red & silver shoes, they didn't have them in my size.  And most of the time, when I have my mind set, I want to get something right then and there and don't have the patience to look around elsewhere.  So I tried on orange, yellow, and silver Asics... even more perfect as far as looks go.  I LOVE ORANGE.  Red isn't my color anyway.  So I got the orange ones... still pricey but not as much as the red ones... and I loved them.

Until I actually ran in them.  My "dream shoes" were not as dreamy as I thought they'd be.  It was actually quite a let-down.  So I wore them for a few months but finally splurged again and bought new Saucony's (ProGrid Ride 3), which I think will be my forever running shoe choice.  I am an orange lover.  And these shoes are pink and silver.

                                        

What?!  I am NOT a pink person.  But the shoes are awesome and I've embraced the pink and actually love it.  So I run in them now and I'm 100% content with the way they fit and feel.

Last year I also made myself a mini "motivational picture" to hang on my wall at work.  It was a sillouete of a girl running against a sunset, and I typed "DETERMINATION" big in the corner.  Today I finally decided to change it.

I used that same picture of the pink shoe above, and fit the following words along the laces and top of the shoe: "Running is a big question mark that's there each and every day.  It asks you, 'Are you going to be a wimp or are you going to be strong today?' "  It's not my own quote but I found it on the internet and liked it.  I want to smash that question mark every day with the clear decision to be STRONG and not a wimp. 

And I still wear my bead bracelet every day, without fail...