What does Han Solo have to do with Running?

I was running with a friend on Sunday and I said, "I totally feel like Han Solo right now." He replied, "Could you elaborate please?". To answer his question I pulled out one of my water bottles from my hydration belt as if wielding a lightsaber (yes, sound effects and all).

Side note, as a I searched for a picture of Han Solo for this article I realized that he doesn't even fight with a lightsaber. Oops. And here I thought I was being so clever. Sorry Star Wars fans.

As I'm increasing mileage I realized I have to pack water/Gatorade. So my question to my running club, do you prefer hand held water bottles or hydration belts? The answer was that everyone has a preference. Very helpful.

So I did some experimenting, and I must admit that I prefer the hydration belt. For anything over 12 miles I just can't stand carrying a bottle in my hand. So even though I look like I'm prepared to fight intergalactic war with a lightsaber, I prefer the belt. I don't look cool, but I'm practical.

Check out this great video from girl-in-motion for a demonstration on different hydration techniques (hand held vs. belt).

What do you prefer?

What Motivates You to Run?

Why do you run? What gets you out the door? What drives you?

What motivates me? The usual: staying healthy, being a role model for my daughters, challenging myself, and fitting into my skinny jeans (that is NOT me in the picture). But mostly because it makes me feel good. Sounds simple enough.

Even though I feel great at the end of a run, it is always a challenge to actually start running. Sometimes the hardest thing about running is simply starting the run. Sounds so simple: put shoes on, walk out door, run. But somehow it isn't.

But when I make it out the door and hit the road/trail it never ceases to amaze me how happy I am and how proud of myself I am. Then for the rest of the day I'm so glad that I got up and ran. (Insert pat on the back here.)

My running buddy told me about this quote he heard, "The only runs that I regret are the ones I didn't do"

This is my new motto. I'm writing in on a post-it and putting in on my alarm clock to get help guilt myself out of bed for my early morning runs.

So why do other people run? I found this great list of quotes when people were asked why they run. Here are my top two favorites from the list:

• “I would love to be a swimmer but I suck at it”
• “I’m addicted to collecting the finisher’s medals”

OK, this is cheesy but I can't resist...here is a list of motivational quotes about running.

• Racing teaches us to challenge ourselves. It teaches us to push beyond where we thought we could go. It helps us to find out what we are made of. This is what we do. This is what it's all about. -PattiSue Plumer, U.S. Olympian
• The miracle isn't that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start. -John Bingham, running speaker and writer
• Whether you believe you can or believe you can't, you're probably right. -Henry Ford
• Top results are reached only through pain. But eventually you like this pain. You'll find the more difficulties you have on the way, the more you will enjoy your success. - Juha Vaatainen
• The body does not want you to do this. As you run, it tells you to stop but the mind must be strong. You always go too far for your body. You must handle the pain with strategy...It is not age; it is not diet. It is the will to succeed. - Jacqueline Gareau
• If God invented marathons to keep people from doing anything more stupid, the triathlon must have taken Him completely by surprise. - P.Z. Pearce

Why do you run?