inspiration and motivation

I get a lot of inspiration from other people. In fact, I think lately I ONLY get inspiration from other people.  Fitness inspiration.  Blogging inspiration.  Goal-setting. The list goes on!  Recently I've found myself to be quite unmotivated when it comes to running - and I'm not sure why.  I spend a lot of time THINKING about going running and even more time NOT running.  What is it that scares me from just going outside and logging a few miles?  I know that I'm tired from work, school, marriage, life - but who isn't?!  Why am I being such a baby about this??  I suppose if I had an answer to that question I wouldn't have a blog! So instead I'm going to celebrate the people that do motivate and inspire me to keep going when I don't want to.

I'm acting very much like my pouty baby elephant friend here.  

On Sunday December 15 the most amazing group of friends joined Justin and me for the 12Ks of Christmas in Kirkland.  It's the second year for Justin and I to run as hubby and wifey and the first year for our friends to submit themselves to the misery FUN!  A 12K race is 7.3 miles which is certainly a no-joke distance.  Especially on this course where the first couple miles are an uphill grind!  

(left to right) Suzanne, Toni, Brent, Christine, Yours Truly, Handsome Hubby

I'm not sure how it happened but sometime in late October, early November Toni (the gorgeous tall blonde) suggested we all run the race together.  I was obviously very excited by this since I was going to make Justin do it with me anyway (which, for the record, he was VERY excited about).  Suzanne is Toni's roomie and was in like flynn.  We invited our fire-fighting, hockey-playing, soccer-loving, already-ran-the-disneyland-half-marathon, brother-from-another-mother Brent.  There was only one person left to convince.  Christine.  Now I'm not condoning our actions, but I will say that peer-pressure and relentless begging can actually work wonders.  She signed up.

Oh, you know, just snappin' selfies after the race had started

Here's where my inspiration and motivation come in.  Toni and Suzanne are training for the San Diego Rock and Roll in June.  Brent is super active and texts me in the mornings to let me know he just did an "easy 6-miler" (whatever dude).  Justin runs races mostly to shut me up (out of love of course).  And Christine?  Well, she runs now because she knows she can.  I believe I saw a quote on her Facebook once saying something like "if you ever see me running, it's because I'm being chased".  She SWORE she wasn't a runner. Well sister. Sorry. You are.

Finishers!!

Run. Walk. Crawl.  Just do something.  Crossing the finish line is so rewarding.  

Maybe I need to remind myself of that the next time I think about running instead of running.