Using the Olympics as fitness motivation ...

As I was out doing a long run on Saturday morning in the oppressive humidity, my mind was grasping for some reason to keep going.  The thought I settled on was the Olympics, and all the incredible athletes who were competing for a once in a life time experience.  If those athletes can put themselves through a lifetime of grueling workouts, then I can make it a few more miles to complete a 15 mile marathon training run.  

From the Denver Post

Watching the fine tuned athletes compete in any olympic event has been very motivating.  Given, I'm no where near an olympic athlete, but I love being active.  Their performances make me want to be better and strive toward a greater goal.  Since I'm a runner the track and field athletes are by far my favorite of the summer games.  

Oscar Pistorius

This last Sunday was the women's marathon!  My friend Morgan did a nice summary on her blog.  We were fortunate, as friends who run marathons together, to watch two friends run a marathon together, Kara Goucher and Shalane Flanagan.  If the marathon isn't your event, don't worry there are tons of other runners to keep an eye out for motivation from a stunning performance.  

In the 10,000 meters there's Galen Rupp, who got the silver.  The inspirational story of Oscar Pistorius is all over the olympics as a 400 meter runner with prosthetics.  In the hurdles is the ever exciting Lolo Jones, and the decathlon is the world record holder Ashton Eaton.  

Tune into the olympics and get motivated to have a healthy, active life, and to experience some of the greatest competition in the world.