Challenges

I think I’ve figured out what motivates me…or should I say, KEEPS me motivated. I’ve not yet figured out what sets the switch off that makes me (or anyone) suddenly get all hot for fitness and then completely lose interest but I have figured out what keeps me going once that switch has been flipped. Challenges.

Last year, when I was making baby steps around my neighborhood, I would set little challenges for myself. Get around this block. Tomorrow, I’ll go to the next block and so forth. The couch to 5K whim was the same thing – I have to finish. I’ll probably never run again, but I found a task that kept me interested for a few weeks. This time, it’s numbered streets. Hampton beach is long – there’s the main beach where all the hub bub is (where I live) and the lettered streets cross between Ocean Blvd and Ashworth Ave. North beach is more residential and has “the wall” and numbered streets connecting Kings Highway to Ocean Blvd. It’s two miles to the entrance to Kings Highway from my house. I started cutting across 1st street, then 2nd street – each day walking one number higher. Today was 7th street. The end game here is to make it through all of the numbered streets all the way to High St. There are 19 numbered streets so I have a couple weeks to go. The only problem I have with this mission is time. I’m up to 5.33 miles and I don’t know how many miles it’ll be by the end, but I suppose I’ll be walking out my door before 4am if it’s longer than 7 miles. LoL That sounds so ridiculous. Leaving to go walking before 4:00 in the morning AND walking anywhere near 7 miles. I’m not really sure how far it is. I think that’s a good worse case scenario, which would mean I’ll need at least an hour and 45 minutes to walk it. 4:00 should do the trick. *sigh*

So… challenges. Perhaps it’s something that might keep you motivated. It’s worth a try.