I am back living in Africa again. I enjoyed spending several months back home. I was quite active during that time. I played basketball regularly, ran 3 half marathons, a couple 5K races, and participated in the Huntsman Senior Games. It had been close to two years since I'd run an official race or gotten a finishing medal or placed in a race so it was nice to see those things happen again.This month I moved back to Ghana for an unknown amount of time. It could be 6 months, a year, or more. My biggest challenge here has been trying to get going again with fitness. I was grateful to leave Utah just as winter weather and freezing temperatures were coming but the extreme heat and humidity here are not ideal for working out either. I have inquired and researched but have not seen or heard of any running races in Kumasi. I have not had luck in the past in finding places to play basketball. Occasional I will see a basketball hoop but it is usually netless, not regulation height, and nobody is playing. We actually have one in our back yard but the rim is smaller than usual, the entire backboard shakes and the rim bounces when you shoot. The court also has a 3 foot drop down to the grass once you get to the hoop. I guess I'm a basketball court snob because it's just not the same.
I've recently decided that I'm done running marathons and will stick with half marathons and 5K races from now on. This should help me avoid injury and require a lot less training volume and time in the future. My impinged shoulders are doing much better than they were last year so I am going to start weight lifting again and see if I can regain some of the near 20 pounds of muscle mass I've lost over the last two years.
So I want to get going again but now the question is "how do I get and stay motivated to workout regularly?" If you feel the same way, here are some things that have helped me in the past.
* Keep pictures or images of your goals out in front of you where you will see them.
* Focus on the health benefits you will receive as you work towards your goal.
* Reward yourself along the way and when you hit your goal with appropriate incentives.
* Share your goal with someone who has similar interests and who will support you.
* Set Smart Goals. Specific, Measurable, Accountability, Realistic, Timetable
When all else fails, use some external motivation. This has been my all time favorite motivating video for years. It features Olympic footage and has been masterfully edited to a kick butt song by Muse.
Survival - Muse from Batier Merand on Vimeo.
