I asked a great Twitter friend, @runningfairy, if she’d like to write a guest post for me since she had some spare time this afternoon.  I suggested the topic (virtual  & real life running motivators) and 2 hours later I received this excellent post in my inbox.

To say I think it’s a great piece is an understatement.  Now read on, click on the link to Fairy’s website at the end and enjoy…

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I was recently asked what motivated me to run.  On thinking about it, the usual suspects turned up when I took pen to paper (or finger to keyboard):

- reaching a specific goal (my current one being my first marathon in April 2011)
- the health benefits
- the mental health benefits (for which my nearest and dearest are eternally grateful)

and if I’m honest (and a bit embarrassed to admit)

- my ego.

I’ve always been quite easily self motivated.  I am a total stats geek and love a training plan, spreadsheet or training diary.  I’ve still yet to decide which came first the planning or the OCD.  More recently, I found I’ve managed to combine my love for all things running and stats related with a newfound love of writing and speaking.  Before all the trendy social networking sites such as Twitter, Dailymile & Facebook, well for me at least, there was the Nike+ chip.

The Nike+ chip revolutionised my training.  A chip attached to my ipod that allowed me to record EXACTLY what distances I was running (ok well not so accurately but you get the extent for my need of quantifying my training).  The Nike+ website allowed me to look back over the year and see how many miles I’d run, how fast my average pace was, read at a glance my own personal summaries of each session and allowed me to be accountable for my training.  My Nike+ ‘friends’ could see if I had trained, how far I had gone and how long it had been since my last confession, er, I mean, session.  When Facebook produced an application that linked UP to the Nike+ website, my training flew off the chart.  Suddenly I was able to chat to people about training, monitor what sessions they were doing, talk training programmes, kit, races and all without annoying or boring my one Real Life runner friend.  Before Nike (B.N.) I had always logged my training sessions in a diary, but one week off, or a few sessions missed and the diary would remain closed, like as if I didn’t open it, the blank pages wouldn’t actually be there.  After Nike (A.N.) I had Facebook messages of concern if I hadn’t logged a run for a few days, or people lifting my motivation or kicking my arse if I was just being lazy.  I had speeds to compare myself too and most importantly, something accurate I could gauge my own progress on.

The week between Christmas and New Year has always been my most hated of the year.  In 2009, in a desperate attempt at staving off boredom, I asked my sister to explain Twitter to me.  Having got used to using Facebook to log miles, set goals and chat about training, she assured me there were hundreds of other runners out there I could speak to, on Boxing Day, in my pyjamas, who also felt hideous and disgusting having eaten their weight in festive food; a support group if you will.  I didn’t have many followers and did not see the point at all in the first few weeks.  It seemed no one wanted me on their team and those who did were people selling insurance or promising to give hundreds of dollars to charity if I ‘RT this post’ (WTF?).  Bit by bit I managed to find some runners and even some of them seemed, well, to put it politely, normal.  I could see myself potentially having a beer with these people.  It was like a hand-picked online running club.  Coming up to the first anniversary of my first tweet I can’t help but reflect on what Twitter (and in turn DailyMile) have done for my training.

DailyMile was introduced to me by Bear Who Runs (you may know him as @paulb323).  I was absolutely in my element.  It was like Facebook but for people who WANTED to see my status updates regarding training.  As with Nike+ you could pull up stats for the year, the month, the week, it was like all the results and tables and charts that I wanted but didn’t have the time to work out how to make.  Runners from the States, Australia and Europe all there to give their opinions on my training (sometimes whether I wanted to hear it or not) but for the most part, all encouraging me on to my next challenge.  Bear Who Runs and I came up with a pre-festive challenge we decided would be a good idea.  Like most good ideas in the pub on a Friday night, this was no different.  It was a chat that escalated into a proper challenge with actual people signed up – all wanting to see if they could run every day for 30 days for the month of November.  The challenge being rolling out of bed every day, no focus on distance or time, just the consistency of getting up and out every day, safe in the knowledge other people are doing it too.  Paul and I have bonded more than once over our love for a measurement or stat and with this challenge he didn’t disappoint, even creating an official logo.

I find it incredible to think that just 10 months ago I had no idea this world of encouragement and motivation existed.  I know for a fact that my online running club is exclusively responsible for me entering my first marathon.  Somewhere between my passing interest and paying my entry my mind has caught up to the challenge and is now even believing that I can do this (and in a half decent time too), way after all my friends told me I could.  Among those I call my running friends are marathoners, triathletes, ultra-runners, trail-runners, ironmen (and women), swimmers, professional athletes (Andy Lemoncello I’m looking at you) and women who are not only runners, but business women, mothers, wives and coaches.  All inspiring, all for different reasons.  The days I feel like I’m not performing at my best or like I’m not improving, or just generally feel a bit rubbish, there’s always someone there to remind me of the time I helped them, inspired them or to show me how far I have come.  There is always someone going through more than you, dealing with injury, illness, personal issues, work or family problems and no matter what we go through, we all come back to this common bond.  Sometimes it’s easier to speak to people from the comfort of your home in your pyjamas about something that’s really bothering you.  To get an impartial ear, advice or just to offload onto someone who you don’t have to face in the office everyday.  There’s an honesty that comes with that.

At risk of sounding like a tool: its been emotional.  I’ve been through the good and the bad associated with social networking and am lucky enough to have had some of the biggest support from those I’ve chosen to interact with (both on-screen and in turn, real life).  There are some genuinely decent, good people out there and for all the bad press social networking gets, I have and continue to see some of THE most supportive, kind, caring and amazing people among my news feeds.

The amount of information I have at my disposal is staggering.  I have been exposed to *bear*foot training, nutritional and coaching tips, as well as copious amounts of links to websites, podcasts and kit (Thanks Travis and Gabs for introducing me to the Suunto T6c) all focussed towards making me a better runner.  The online support and stories of achievement helped push me into making some brilliant choices for myself.  I started Personal Training with a man named Mike (affectionately known as Ironmike for his Ironman tendencies) with whom I have done some of my best training to date; he continues to push me forward and raise my own standards and expectations of myself.  Being accountable to Mike, logging my miles and my sessions and having that supported by the online community of which I have now become totally absorbed in, for me, is priceless and much more valuable than a gym membership.

So what motivates me?

Knowing that there are runners out there, some of whom know me, some of whom don’t, who really DO want to see me achieve my goals.  Rarely am I faced with stone-throwers, instead a huge team of cheerleaders: all wanting, willing me to succeed and believing I can do whatever I set out to achieve.  The positivity I am blessed with amongst a world that is increasingly negative and insular really does feel like a gift of mammoth proportions.  Knowing that wherever I go in the world I’ll have a friend to run with, someone to pop in and see, someone to help me out with local knowledge and a friendly face to put to (usually quite entertaining) banter.  Races are no longer a bore, a hassle or a nightmare to arrange as its now an opportunity, an excuse to travel to see friends and have a good catch up after (not forgetting the cake).  The hours are convenient and fit around work, life and there’s always someone about to answer any questions I might have.

It really is unique, as I sincerely feel like I am a part of the coolest running club in the world and I feel incredibly sorry for all of those runners who aren’t members yet.

Please Visit @runningfairy‘s website and, if you can, donate on her Just Giving fundraising page!

www.runningfairy.com

www.justgiving.com/Valine-B
Running for Shooting Star Children’s Hospice