Looking for Mr Motivation

there's a wee bottle of nuun on my shoulder ;)

some of you might think that with as much as i get out and get after it, i have boundless stores of energy.  but on the contrary, sometimes it is hard for me to get off the couch.  i sometimes wonder where Mr Motivation went...  so i set a plan in place and go out looking for him.

my friend Sue had a 20 mile run planned out on Antelope Island.  i had originally intended to go with her today, but my hip and knee are just starting to feel good, and i don't want to have a set back by trying to get back into running long distances too soon.  and besides, i have another "Summer of Running" planned for this year too.


today i found Motivation up in Park City, at Round Valley with the dogs.  it's true what they say; it takes you as many minutes to warm up as you are old in years.  it took me at least 39 1/2 minutes to warm up today, but once i did, i was able to skate ski comfortably for a good hour and a half.

i think the same is not true for dogs, because they were ready to bolt out of the back of the car as soon as i pulled into the parking lot.  they did a really good job to contain themselves and not bolt into the street.  i love it after we have gone for a little while, because we all settle into a good rhythm on the Loipe...  me with my head down and music on, Frank off to my left, and Artie just behind.


what a spectacular day it was, and i'm glad that i was able to find Mr Motivation in the magical hills of the Wasatch.  i set out with the intention of only stretching my legs and seeing how things would go, but after i was warmed up, i felt as if i could keep going and going. 

Artie looks tired ~ Frank looks like he could go another round

but alas, the dogs could not handle skate skiing all day.  it's always nice to hit the downhill back to the car, and i found that my yellow dog was not having as easy of a time as i and was lagging a bit behind.

when we got back to the trailhead there was a guy with a great young Golden Retriever named Moose.  Moose was all legs and quite a charmer (both my dogs liked him very much) and he even tried to jump into the back of our car.  Moose's person had been towing a Chariot behind, with what looked like a very sleepy 6 month old, and i just thought to myself, "Good on ya, Daddy, for getting that kid out in the sunshine and mountains and showing him what it's all about."

when we find motivation, we are lucky indeed;  i am fortunate enough to have found some successfully today.  it makes sitting on the couch drinking coffee this afternoon so much more rewarding.  and the dogs are happily napping...