Juneathon day 18 – cycle commuting both ways and a 40min upper body workout at lunch time. Already it felt easier than last week – I wonder if I’ll hurt less tomorrow as a result! We will see….
I decided it’s time for another Hump Day Inspiration post as I haven’t done one in a while, it’s the hump day of the week and we are just past Juneathon hump day. I wonder how many juneathon participants stop completely for a few weeks at the beginning of July?!
Anyway I’ve been really struggling to get out of bed this morning, only dragging myself up around 8am. I need to get it into my head that a 7am wake-up is not early! I keep finding excuses – a reason why it would be better to do the workout another day, or yesterday I came off my bike leaving me with a big graze on one leg so I was using that as an excuse not to swim this morning! I almost used it as an excuse not to cycle but in the end I woman’ed up and got on my bike for a drizzly, humid cycle into work. So this is all a long way of saying that I need the motivation!
Some of these posts are pretty old but they’re posts I come back to when I need a boost 🙂
1) Pretty much any post by Emily @ sweatonceaday (but this one in particular)
This blog is so motivating because this girl just loves running. She is an ultrarunner who loves craft beer and who takes some incredible photos on her run. Just looking at the photos makes me want to have the opportunity to run on some beautiful trails like hers – better get training then! Not only the photos, but the fact that in her blog, running is never a chore, it is never all about time and pace and stress, it is about fresh air and beautiful views.
2) What I think about when I think about swimming by Laura @ lazygirlrunning
So many triathletes come to it a bit scared of the swim, not really knowing how to swim properly, not really enjoying swimming. The pool is a chore, something to be got over, the black lake looming in the distance. But if you take learning to swim seriously, if you do that chore week in and week out, with the occasional lessons, there comes a moment when everything clicks into place and swimming (especially wetsuited lake swimming) is freedom. This post pretty much sums up my journey with swimming and I like to read it when I’m dreading a swim session, to remind me that I’ve come past that stage now! “Because a year ago today I couldn’t swim, and now I can swim 1500m without stopping. That’s what I think about when I think about swimming. And I think I love swimming.”
3) This profile of pro triathlete Terenzo Bozzone
Firstly, because profiles of pros are really interesting and he comes across as a really nice guy. I especially like these quotes:
“when I grow up I want to be like my dad – he can fix anything. The truth of the matter is I probably couldn’t even tune my bike properly” – good to know even the pros are not always completely down on their bike mechanics!
“But I’m a pretty easy going person—it takes a lot to offend me. Unless I’ve finished a big week of training and I’m quite tired—then little things like Kelly [his wife] not packing a dish in the dishwasher grinds my gears. I can’t believe how much of an idiot I can be at times like that!” We’ve all been there!!! My annoyance is clothes on the floor – I accept slightly ridiculous when the livingroom is normally littered with my rucksack, trainers, bike shoes, normal shoes, swim hat….. but if clothes are in the wrong place in the bedroom and I’m feeling cranky….. watch out! It’s nice to know the pros are just the same as we are (kind of).
So that’s my motivation for the week – I’m going to keep those gorgeous running pictures in my head and make sure I get out of bed! Feel free to share any other motivating blogs / posts you may have come across recently!
Reading, Running, Cycling 
Thank you for the shoutout! (For the record, sometimes running IS a chore! But way more often than not, it is all about the trails and views and spending miles with friends.)