Motivation Monday, part tres

A week after crossing the finish line at the Marine Corps Marathon, my motivation abounds. I think it’s tied to a blessed break in

Motivating me this week: New shoes, a tech tee from a good friend's running store!

my running, which I’m appreciating for maybe the first time in my life. I had an easy run with my running group at Pacers Silver Spring on Thursday, but mostly, I’m enjoying long rides on the stationary bike, during which I read the morning’s Washington Post, and getting back into rowing and strength-training (swimming, I’m coming back to you soon! Promise!). I’m eating Mexican food on Thursdays and Fridays, because I know I have no long runs to prep my sensitive stomach for. On Friday, at a Halloween party Steve and I hosted, I didn’t obsess about every little thing I ate, drank and breathed — amazing! I can appreciate the lull because I know training will start up soon enough – I’ve got my eye on the National Marathon March 20, and my first 10-miler comes Dec. 5. Here’s what else is motivating me this week:

Some new songs to add to the playlist, via Brittany’s awesome suggestions. Funny — she made her list using many of mine, and yet I found some new ones on hers! For example, how did this Jersey girl fail to include “Living on a Prayer” by Bon Jovi at the halfway point? She who screams “We’re halfway there” with her fist pumped in the air at wedding receptions did not have that on her marathon playlist — imagine!

I signed up for dailymile.com. I need a new training log, and I figure I might as well give this one a try. Not sold yet. Just curious. Planning on inputting my first workout today.

I got new shoes! I ordered from my friend Chris’ running store, the Gingerbread Man Running Co., which is maybe the coolest name ever (Fast as fast can be, you’ll never catch me? Get it?). He’s all the way out in Indiana, Penn., now. But he worked at Pacers Silver Spring prior to opening his store, and we enjoyed many a post-run happy hour with him. I should note that Steve and I never actually shared a run with Chris — he runs races to win them, and his cooldown pace is literally hard for me to keep up with. Anyway, I have a brand-new pair of Brooks Adrenalines to get all dirty again, which is always exciting. I also have a super-cool technical T with his store’s logo on it, which I plan to wear to Pacers on Thursday. If you’re in Western Pennsylvania, please stop in his store, if only to chat about running!

A solution to the tail fro, courtesy of my runner-friend Laura, who organizes our Pacers Silver SpringFun Runs every Tuesday and Thursday at 7 p.m. She spotted my tail fro photo taken after the

Could it be? There's a fix for my tail-fro?

Marine Corps Marathon, and during a long conversation about our upcoming race schedule, she asked if I knew about Redken Smooth Out Butter Treat. I bought some on my way home. This truly makes me want to go do a long run to get my hair all tail-froey to test it out!

What’s motivating you this week? Let me know by posing a comment below!