Why do we do what we do?
For me this is an especially important question, because as the program director of a community based club, I need numbers. If I only end up with 5 super gung-ho badasses, I might not get paid. PLUS, I believe the secret to a healthy club is lots and lots of kids. However, this question should also be on the mind of an athlete, “Why do I do it?”
SO, how do you keep an athlete rolling? What do they WANT to do? Because I make no bones about it, endurance sports are hard, and if I don’t make it “fun,” athletes will find something else to do. Wait, why is “fun” in quotations marks?
BECAUSE “keeping it fun” means motivation, which is a combination of two factors:
1. True Fun
2. Accomplishment
True fun, is well, true fun. You enjoy yourself WHILE you are doing it. This might be an easy run on a really cool trail you’ve never done before. It doesn’t hurt (or maybe hurts a little for part of it), it’s just fun!
Accomplishment, on the other hand, is nearly the opposite of true fun. You get the biggest sense of accomplishment from the things that are the least fun. BUT once you’re done, you say “That was fun!” What the hell for? It wasn’t fun! It sucked and you know it. BUT, you accomplished something, and we as human beings are hardwired to LOVE accomplishment. Last summer, when we started running Friday intervals on the track, practice attendance went UP. Why? Because athletes could SEE themselves improving. You can’t lie on a track, when you get better, you see your times drop, and THAT is better than crack (Which brings me to my next point, don’t smoke crack.)
A good program, and even just a good training plan, needs a healthy dose of both of those. You need to have days that are straight up fun, good company, nice weather, maybe an attractive member of the opposite sex (half the reason we run is because God made running shorts). You also need to balance that with workouts that are challenging, and that can give you measured success, for that feeling of accomplishment.
Each person needs to find their own mix. I used to be 100% accomplishment. I liked fun workouts, sure, but that wasn’t what I was all about. Now, as a retired geezer, I’m probably 60% fun, 40% accomplishment. I still love to go out and run ’til I’m cross-eyed and drooling, but I just can’t do it as much, or I won’t want to get out the door for my next one.
What’s your recipe?
