Push push push

I love my spin instructor Gregg and his spin class - Terracycle - at Equinox.  Before I started training for the marathon I would go every Friday morning at 7:30am.  Now that I'm on a different workout schedule because of training, I go to Gregg on Monday evenings.  I must say that it really gets me to look forward to Mondays.

Gregg Cook, my spin instructor (taken from his website www.greggcook.com)

Gregg is an extremely motivational instructor, and his advice during class always enters my head as I run.  He tells us to pick a mantra like "push push push" or "go go go" and repeat it as you work out.  He is fond of telling us that there's a level of discomfort that we're comfortable with reaching, and that to see positive changes in our body we have to train ourselves to push past that level.  I think that's true for running as well.  There are times that I'll be running up a hill and thinking that I'm uncomfortable and want to stop or walk.  But then Gregg's voice enters my head and I think "push push push - just relax your shoulders and go go go, yes yes yes!"  Getting past the mental block of "I can't" is difficult, but being cognizant of the block makes it easier to put it aside and keep pushing on.

Speaking of discomfort while running, this past weekend I headed out on Saturday for my 11-miler, but was totally unprepared and forgot to bring water and Chomps (and I hadn't eaten).  Then I missed a turn on my second loop around Central Park, so I ended up running 12 miles instead of 11.  At least I learned that the water fountains in the park are too few and far between to rely upon, which is good to know for future, longer runs.

I also came to the realization that two runs on the weekends probably will just never happen.  This past weekend my dad came on Sunday, meaning that I didn't have the chance to run the 6-miler I was supposed to do.  Next weekend my mom is coming for the weekend, the weekend after that I am going to Philly, the following weekend I have a friend in town...it's never ending!  I think doing what I've said before - the Beginner-II schedule and just adding the second weekend run if I can fit it in - is the best it's going to get.  And at least that way I won't start resenting running because it's something I "have to" do all the time, rather than something I want to do.  It's too early in training to be losing motivation!