As others have stated, the key to staying motivated through the tough times (bad weather, injuries, etc.) is to have goals.  I believe that it's vital to have both long-term and short-term goals.  Set your sights on a major race for a long range goal but also set up smaller objectives that you can achieve in a week to a month (running a certain number of days, breaking a training course record, running a certain distance, taking part in a shorter race, etc.).  When you reach these goals you should reward yourself with a little something.  That could be related to running (like a new watch or tech shirt) or just something fun (special meal, CD/DVD, etc.).  Anything to keep you excited to exercise.

Good luck and happy running!

Jay

this is a great question here. i know everyone has certain things which motivate them to keep goin'. it can become a challenge sometimes to get out there and give it your all based on various factors. everything from family, to work, school, weather, fatigue and a array of other obstacles can keep us from having a high amount of motivation. i get a lot of my motivation from these discussions on here as well as runnersworld.com and runners world magazine. it is amazing to me the amount of people that are so strong and perseverant with running and overall fitness. everytime i read someone's experience it makes me even more eager to reach my goals. i also find that mixing up your routine will ensure that you will not get bored and have that one day turn into two, three...etc. now that the weather is freazing (i'm in new jersey where it's about 33 degrees right now), i am utilizing my gym membership more to do cross training such as the eliptical, cross trainer, stationary bike and treadmill. although none of those things rank up there with running, it's a different exercise which keeps my spirits up while the weather is not the best. another thing that has motivated me is the fact that am beating type 2 diabetes!!!! every since i was diagnosed with it on may 20, 2007 it has been my goal to not have to rely on medication to stabilize my sugar levels. since january, diabetes has not been in my system and a lot of it has to do with the amount of running i do. if nothing else motivates me....that certainly will!!! (the nearly 50lb weight loss helps too).

keep up the motivation and happy running!

Dre Day,

Congrats on being diabetes free for almost a year now!!! That is great motivation...however a lot of people would've used that as an excuse not to exercise(ya know, they're sick and overweight, and just can't do it...) It takes much will power to overcome all the excuses that are out there for us to use not to run, and it's wonderful to hear what you have done thus far! Great job on the weight loss too!! I have also lost around 49 pounds, and still have about 15 to go!! This website has also helped me a great deal in the motivation department, and I too enjoy reading through my runner's world magazine!! I'm a like a kid at christmas waiting for the next magazine to arrive each month!! The stories are so inspirational, and I am finding that I can't wait to read the next newbie articles each month, because he is just a regular person like me, and it's easy to relate to him, as opposed to the amazing runners who cover more miles in one race then I do in 2 months!!! Anyway...great job!!

KEEP ON RUNNING!!:)

Carey

hey carey,

thanks for the kinds words. i really appreciate it. diabetes was something that i was definitely not going to let defeat me. yes, it was extremely traumatic when i first found out that i had it. but once i got over the initial depression stage, it was full force ahead with living my life as a non-diabetic. i'm so grateful that i've been able to overcome a disease that is such a HUGE epidemic in our country. i would say that in less than a year's time, i should be totally free of any medication and controlling my sugar strictly with my diet and of course running! and i just got my latest runner's world magazine. i can't wait to crack it open for even more inspiration!!!!

dre