Where's the Switch?

Seriously?

Where is the switch?

You know the one I mean. 

The motivation switch.

The get off my ass switch.

The "I am an athlete" switch.

Because it got flipped off a couple of years ago and I am on the struggle bus trying to get it flipped back on.  

I have signed up for races.  Which has been a huge motivator in the past.  Now it's a big, EH.  

I make mini goals so that it won't seem overwhelming.  Nope.

I try to find a new challenge that will get me jazzed up to work towards.  Again, not helping.  Can't find something that makes me even a teeny bit jazzed in the next few months to a year.  

In the past, writing this blog has helped keep me motivated.  Now I'm avoiding writing it all.  I don't seem to have much motivation for that either.  

What the heck is wrong with me? 

And I'm going to be completely honest, this started BEFORE the pandemic hit.  I was just starting to feel like I was going to get the switch flipped and then everything went to pot.  

Which just means that I am pandemic plus a year in addition of not working on being the healthiest me possible.  

UGH!!  

I'm also dealing with some things that are directly related to my weight.  Which is much higher than I care to admit right now.  Slowly heading back in the right direction but it is SOOOOOO SLOWWWWW!

Every time I hike or run I have a lot of pain in my heel and lots of soreness all over.  It takes a few days to work the pain out so that it's bearable.  

It's hard to be motivated to run when it hurts every time I do.  I am talking about pain, not soreness.  There is a difference.  

I know it will be better when I've lost more weight.  It's just really hard to get there when it all hurts.  

Here are the things I am trying to do to flipped that damn switch:

I am doing a 5k this weekend at Best in the West.  I have cut myself some slack and am happy that I am moving. 

The weekend after that I am doing the Bend Beer Chase with some current and former co-workers.  Again, focusing on the fact that I get to spend the weekend outdoors making memories with some fabulous ladies.  

I have made a standing date with one of my besties to hike every Sunday that we are both in town.  Together when we are both home, I will go solo when she isn't.  I used to hike every week, rain or shine.  Going to be okay with hurting afterward for a while.  It will get better eventually.  

Joe and I and some fabulous friends are in the beginning stages of planning a trip to do a Camino walk in Portugul in 2023.  Which means we are planning out longer walks to work on being ready to walk 13 plus miles a day for days on end.  Joe and I have our backpacks and even though it's still a long ways out, it really isn't.  I want to have fun on this trip and not be in pain.  So I better get start figuring it out.  

I am doing the Silver Falls 7 Miler in November and am planning on signing up for the Cascade 10k in January.  

While school is exhausting it is so awesome to be back with students.  I sure can tell that I am on my feet all day.  I'm getting my steps in before I even come home for the day.  I've only been back in front of students for a week.  I'm completely exhausted when I get home.  But it is totally filling my cup and energizing me in a different way. 

It gives me some hope that the energy that is fueling my heart will eventually translate in being able energize my body too.  

What do you do to flip the switch?  

Really!  I would love to hear your thoughts and ideas!!

Photo credit: Cambridge University Press