Ask the Coach – You pull your motivation from where?

I made a quick post on my personal facebook page about finishing a spin. One of my friends replied:

I’ve taken ten or so long breaks from exercise since I have known you and you’ve taken maybe one day off. How the heck do you stay so motivated!?

Instead of writing several paragraphs back, I thought the “Ask the Coach” column would be a better venue. So where do I get my motivation to exercise? (For the record, I have taken more than one day off since I’ve known Kera, especially this last month after Ironman Arizona!)

• I train for specific events. It’s not just exercise because my workouts have a purpose. I pick events that will challenge me, that will be fun (note: fun can be a relative term), and from which I can learn something about racing and myself.
• For example, my next event is the LA Marathon, chosen so I can do a race where my grandparents live and visit them. But I also want to capitalize on my Ironman fitness and try another stand alone marathon.
• I write down my performance goals so I can monitor my progress.
• I have a coach. There is nothing like having a coach to hold you accountable!
• I probably wouldn’t be a very good coach myself if I didn’t walk the walk.
• I jumped on the social media bandwagon. I follow other athletes, coaches, endurance events, and so forth on twitter, facebook, google+ and blogs. This network is very supportive. Seeing others train and what they are going through does wonders for motivation.
• I enjoy getting outside and exploring new places. Living in Colorado affords huge opportunity to explore beautiful terrain. Sometimes just looking at the mountains is motivation enough to get out and run!
• I truly, no-kidding, with out a doubt, love to train. I want to see of what I am capable and I enjoy the process.
• Now there may be times where I am muttering some things under my breath when it’s a particularly challenging workout, but in the end I will be glad about what I accomplished.