Erin Go Run

Language, according to Ferdinand De Saussure extends beyond the primitive understanding that it consists of a list of signs; a list of words corresponding to the things they name. Instead, he proposed the idea that language, as it pertains to signs, consists of several components on varying levels. The linguistic sign unites, not a thing and a name, but a concept and a sound-image. With that, our words become ideas, and our ideas have meaning. Therefore, the sign (an object or word), together with the signified (its concept) and signifier (sound image), create language.

If we were to apply Saussure’s theory of language into that of running, we might discover the meaning of motivation and furthermore establish a basic understanding of where it originates from. (At the same time, keeping in mind Saussure’s argument on conformity to reality, this association of motivation is mine, so some might disregard this as imagined.) Finally, motivation will bring us back to the root of why I run.

As it applied several weeks ago, motivation had no meaning to my running. It was another word applied, but largely disconnected, to the mindless struggle of placing one foot in front of another at a rate which would redefine “run” to mean nothing. My actions of running held no regard for that which it should have meant to me; I could hardly understand running, as I was dislocated from what it meant in San Diego.

But to define my recent spark of motivation, scholars would argue that I simply acquired the linguistic understanding of motivation. In other words, I connected the sign, motivation, with its signifier, a conceptual understanding of my potential, with the signified, the sound-image of my motivation; “Yeah,” by Usher.

Motivation, as a concept, requires an understanding of one’s potential. The existence of a threshold in which to constantly strive for offers the concept of motivation to meet that threshold. Motivation, therefore, is a conscious effort to defy that runner’s potential, either meeting or surpassing it. In doing this, the signifier of working to that potential requires with it a signified sound-image in order for Motivation to exist as a sign.

Upon the initial beats of “Yeah,” the sound-image becomes a part of the concept of relating the conscious effort to defy my threshold of running with the now defined sign, running. Therefore, with Usher and motivation “run” becomes understood linguistically, allowing me to do that which I apparently hadn’t been able to do before- run.

Motivation is a runner’s best friend, and also worst enemy. When motivation is high, running is phenomenal. When motivation is low, there is nothing but time it seems until that motivation returns. It would seem obvious at this point (being as my last blog post in June was a missed marathon race) that my motivation has been on the down and outs in the last couple of months. When I moved to Omaha for graduate school, I was excited for a change, but not in my running. I am slowly realizing that I had taken San Diego for granted and the complaints about city running, the asphault, the hills are all very much missed as I struggle to do 30 minute runs.

Some of this lack of motivation I attribute to the fact that Omaha doesn’t know me as the runner (yes, those countless runner jokes and nicknames at eVisibility are highly missed). To most people I meet out here, I am the quiet English student, the California girl, or the distant cousin however many times removed. If no one expects me to run, of no one expects me to be the motivator, then doggone it, I ain’t gonna run. And at times, I do that. Instead of going one or two days without running before going crazy, I struggle to run every 3 or 4 days.

Until this week; and this is my challenge more than my motivation. I have designed a calendar upon which I have color-coded my runs. Any run lower than a certain time or number of miles will be colored red; anything over a certain goal will be green, and something in between will be orange. Thus, taking advantage of the last days of Fall, I will bring those colors to my running calendar.

*As my motivation increases, I hope also that my blog posts do as well. There is so much to write about in my experience in Omaha; it’s a shame for anyone to miss it (especially myself).