BASS PRO MIDWEEK MOTIVATION - Challenge Yourself

Hello runner friends!

Welcome back to the Bass Pro Fitness Series

MIDWEEK M😊TIVATI😊N blog!

Now let's get started by talking about challenges... something winter running is full of and something that has a lot of people's motivation waning this time of year. But since winter training produces spring PR's, let's discuss how committing yourself to a group challenge can be just what you need to put some pep back in your step. So a challenge that I really enjoy doing and have done for many years is Taji100. This is a free challenge (believe it or not, although you can purchase the swag) where teams compete against one another and individuals within the teams push themselves harder than usual to complete 100 miles in the month of February to propel their team to the top of the ‘leaderboard’. The challenge stresses commitment, honor, and integrity while raising money for military veterans and promoting health and fitness. As you can see by the smiles on Angie and Rudy Betran's photo above (part of the TEAM RWB Fort Leonard Wood team), getting in those Taji miles doesn't have to be done at breakneck speed either. You can run or walk at your own pace and make it your mission to practice mindful gratitude as you do so, something that's also been proven to improve a person's motivation.

So if this has you wondering what the allure of the challenge is and how it came about, this is what their website had to say… the first Taji 100 was held at former Camp Taji, in Al Taji, Iraq, in February of 2010. The once-thriving American military base was located in a rural region approximately 20 miles north of Baghdad. During the Saddam years, the camp was an Iraqi Republican Guard base central to the production of chemical weapons. Camp Taji was heavily bombed during Operation Desert Fox, and came under American control in 2003. Captain Carole DiPardo, 211th Military Police Battalion, created the friendly competition for her fellow troops in Camp Taji with a simple goal: Run 100 miles during the month of February. Although DiPardo originally established the challenge to promote cardiovascular health and fitness, the run was also instrumental in helping stationed U.S. service members relieve stress and boredom during what were often long and tedious deployments. With nearly 300 registered runners and walkers its first year, the inaugural Taji 100 was a huge success. And it continues to grow!!! The idea of having something enjoyable to do in one of the coldest months of the year has been embraced by thousands of patriotic runners around the United States for more than a decade. That's what you get though when you combine free, fitness, friends, and fun. So join us! You'll have some miles to make up but it can be done! Did I tell you that they've added cycling, swimming, and rowing this year? Cross training can also be a great challenge!

If Taji isn't your thing though, there's a challenge out there with your name on it! Check out these OMRR runners (and Bass Pro Ambassador Heidi Thomas) in the photo. They got creative and did a women's only duathlon last weekend. They know that Bass Pro Marathon/half training will be here before they know it (begins in July) and they want to be ready!

But if neither of these challenges interests you, find one that will send your motivation soaring! Here are some free and fun ideas that come to my mind:

1. Set out to complete a 30 day run streak. That's at least one mile for 30 days.

2. Aspire to complete a 5k, 10k, half marathon, and a full marathon in 30 days. Enlist your family and friends to be your cheering squad and reward yourself at the completion of each distance with the reward getting bigger and better with the longer miles. Perhaps even use the challenge to raise money for a local organization in need. Helping others is always a great motivator!

3. Run a 5k a day for 30 days. 

4. Run naked (without a watch) for 30 days and concentrate on the experience rather than the time. Journal your thoughts on this. 

5. Leave the headphones at home for 30 days and take in the sounds around you. If you can, run in quiet places where you're likely to hear less traffic noise and more sounds of nature. Pause to listen to a bubbling brook or to listen to the sounds of the wind rustling the leaves. 

6. Practice mindful gratitude on your runs for 30 days. Spend each run counting your blessings and looking for new ones. Journal your thoughts on this one too. I guarantee that you’ll come out of this time period amazed at the many things you are now thankful for that you took for granted. 

7. Create a race bucket list (that includes Bass Pro and/or Dogwood Canyon of course) and sign up for a few runs in the future. Getting skin in the game will motivate you to keep training through all weather conditions. 

And there you have it friends. A strong spring is earned in the winter as the saying goes. So find your challenge, make a resolution to see it through, and then let it motivate you to keep getting out there and logging those miles. You'll be so glad you did!

Happy Running!