A little motivation for marathon training, staying focused, and just getting through Monday in general. (We are just FOUR days away from spring break!)

A couple times a month, I like to take a break from writing my own original post to share amazing finds from around the interwebs that I found especially entertaining/inspirational.

1.) Motivation to push yourself in workouts:

Probably the only reason I was able to power through my 13-mile long run on Saturday was with Kelly Clarkson’s brand new album Piece by Piece (Deluxe Edition). She is the true MVP here. The beats and the lyrics made the miles fly by (except when I ran so far out that my phone lost internet connection and I ran two miles in complete silence. Awkward.) Can’t pick a favorite but Second Wind and Invincible are probably the best workout tracks.

2.) Motivation for Self-Improvement:

The Thought Catalog Article ‘25 Things Every Woman Should Have by the Time She Turns 25′

This article popped up on Pinterest and piqued my interest. As a 22 year old millenial, a lot of the things on this list are considered more traditional than modern. Especially #3, which says we should only have the phone numbers, Facebook contacts and friends that we actually want in our life. So many of the items on this list resonated with me and I think it is a personal goal to accomplish each one in the next three years. (Should probably print it out then, to remind myself!)

3.) Motivation for running:

*Obviously since I am 3 weeks in and 12 weeks out from my next marathon, I had to add something running-related. Blogs from other marathoners are my main source of running inspiration lately (Carrots n’ Cake and The Hungry Runner Girl motivated me to do my first Yasso 800 workout! Both are training for Boston.) I’m not going to lie, food is a huge motivator for running. As ridiculous as it sounds, I’m running to become faster for a marathon, not to lose weight. So I look forward to replacing the calories I burn off… I joked on Instagram about my intense margarita craving during this weekends long run. I’ll blame it on all the salt I lost from sweat! ;)

4.) Motivation to Eat Healthy:

On the complete flip side of that beautiful diagram above, not every meal can be cupcakes and cosmos unfortunately. Nutrition is still extremely important for our everyday energy, brain activity, self-confidence and overall health. I’m definitely guilty of getting in a rut and giving into hormones and cravings. Sometimes we need a little motivation to remind ourselves why its so much better to choose healthy whole ingredients, and this video and post from The Skinny Confidential was pretty helpful –> TSC Grocery Store Haul.

5.) Motivation for blogging:

On Friday night, I was stopped at a cross walk with a friend just chatting. A girl came up behind me and said, “Excuse me? I read your blog…” I’d never met her before. She was a student at my school who Google searched ‘healthy college girl blog’ or something. Her boyfriend recognized our school in the pictures after she clicked on Strong Like My Coffee and so she began following. The very first time someone who randomly found me on the internet found me in person! (If you’re reading, hi!)

Turns out my digital marketing course and work with search engine optimization has made Strong Like My Coffee the #1 search result on Google for “Healthy College Blog”!

6.) Motivation for senioritis:

On Thursday morning, my marketing professor so kindly reminded us that we should start actively seeking out jobs for after graduation. Thanks dude, I’ve been working on that since January! Do you know how many rejection e-mails I’ve now received? I don’t even know. I delete them immediately, so I’m not keeping track. The majority state that they are seeking candidates with 5+ years experience.

I’m motivated to keep looking because of my intense passion for starting a brand new life of my own in the Carolina’s.

I’m motivated because I know my marketing skills and my experience are right for some position out there. I’m motivated to keep applying because every day, a few thousand people visit this site to see what I have to say.

I’m motivated because all of my peers are going through the exact same thing. I’m motivated because I’ve had my heart set on moving to the south and anything less than what I set out to do is not an option.

May your Monday be short and your coffee be strong!

XOXOXO