Motivation Monday: the ‘Shebeest’ edition

I was going to make this the “back in the saddle” edition of Motivation Monday, in a reference to me trying out my new bike seat, new helmet and new wrist on my first post-wrist surgery bike ride on Saturday. I’ve always been a skittish cyclist, so even once my doctor cleared me for all activities last month, I was flat-out scared to get back in the saddle, lest I re-break my wrist, or break something in my body that isn’t titanium-reinforced.

My new bike seat and helmet, purchased in January, finally used on Saturday.

But getting back in the saddle is boring and cliched, and represents kind of a lukewarm attitude, begging the question of what happened once I was actually *in* the saddle. In addition to a new bike seat, I also got to use my favorite old bike shorts, by a brand called Shebeest, which is exactly the kind of persona I channeled when I made a conscious effort to do something that scared the crap out of me.

Looking dweeby but victorious in my Sheebeests after our ride Saturday.

It started with a simple ride to the Silver Spring Farmers Market. I wore my splint there, shed it for the ride home, and had so much fun, I recruited Steve to join me for a longer ride in the place of my scheduled swim. We both enjoyed zooming through the sunny, arid, 80-degree weather on a 10-mile trek on the Rock Creek Hiker-Biker Trail. I enjoyed getting to unleash my inner Shebeest—an occasional necessity in training and in life.

Here’s what else is motivating me this week:

• A painful, but ultimately successful, 10-mile run Sunday morning. After being so smart about pacing last week’s 10-miler, I fell into the same trap that’s defined most of my longer runs this training cycle: the “but 8:30-minute miles *do* feel easy and conversational!” trap, which left me sputtering through my final miles on Sunday. I felt like crap chugging up the last, long, uphill mile, but was pleased to find that I still averaged right around 9:30-minute miles, about par for the course this training cycle.
• A nice quote, courtesy of Michelle at Running Down Dreams: “When we understand the privilege of what it means to be an athlete, we are in touch with, and rejoice in, our physical, mental and emotional strengths, and our endless possibilities.” – Gloria Averbuch
• Kara Goucher’s blog. I had no idea this existed. Now that I do, it’s totally rocking my world.
• Another new race idea: The Battleship Half-Marathon in Wilmington, N.C. It’s on Sunday, Nov. 7, and it’s flat and fast. Best of all, it’s only $58, compared to the $100 I’d shell out to run the Philadelphia Half-Marathon on Nov. 21. Just a thought …

What’s motivating you this week?