Keeping Motivated During a Heatwave...

I just gave myself two days off from exercise becuase I was just plum tuckered out as we say here in the South.  Today, I got up to run early, but there are heavy thundersto\rms.  Hoping to get outside in a few minutes.  To stay motivated, I've signed up for a women's only runners training class lasting 10 weeks ending with a 5K in September, and I am running my second 5K on July 24.  Knowing I've got those ahead is making me hit the track.

Plus, fear motivates me - fear of not losing any more and fear of regain.

for me it's a more generic question of motivation.  if you are motivated enough, conditions may suck, but you will find a way to make it work.  in other words, if we really want to make an excuse for not working out/training we can find something, whether it is the heat in the summer, the cold in the winter, too much wind, rain, sun, smog, cool stuff on tv etc.  i just plan ahead and improvise if i need to.  does that mean working out in less than ideal situations from time to time?  yes.  for instance, i trained for a marathon in the winter months almost exclusively on a treadmill.  somedays i wanted to gouge my eyes out, but i did it, and the race was successful.  other times i've had to get up @ 4 AM to make it work or not get home until 10 PM.  i personally keep myself motivated by always having a goal.  if it is a race goal, i will always have a couple lined up so when i complete one, there already is another on the horizon to start training towards.  i also mix up the events so that training doesn't get stale.  be it a long bike ride, long run, tri, short run etc.  good luck, the trick is to find stuff that you like to do, and motivation takes care of itself for the most part (there will always be days where you have to force yourself to do it, but if you are doing something you truly love, they will be few and far between).

I believe it was you or Scott *****commended signing up for another event after I finished my first half and was in a 'what now' mode.  It has kept me active! 

I was asking a friend of mine who has never had a weight issue what keeps her active when the conditions are not optimal.  For her, it is the endorphins.  She does  not feel good if she does not work out. 

i couldn't agree more, i was just talking about that with a co-worker last week.  both of us actually are miserable/cranky when we aren't working out regularly.

i fell into a MAJOR funk after my 10 Miler in April and was sidelined with an injury.  I totally understand now why runners hate to not run.  a few weeks off and I was ready to do anything to improve my mood.  turns I just had to get going again - the physical pain was way easier to tolerate than the mental!