Running Out Of Steam

I begrudgingly began running 'for real' on 5/19/2013. Those first runs were not happy runs, they were sad, plodding, pain filled exercises in what I thought was nothing more than futility. However, I kept running and while my early runs could be timed more accurately on a calendar, I got faster...running began something I looked forward to doing. It was a challenge that I actually kept up on, rather than quit in disgust when it became difficult (or my knees began to swell, or my always balky hamstrings began to ache). I think I hit my 'running is fun!' peak right around the time I ran my first official 8k. Since then, well, I friggin' hate running. It's boring, a chore, and something I force myself to do...and something I find more excuses not to do. Now, I did suffer a decent hamstring injury a couple of months ago, an injury that knocked me off my routine for a couple of weeks...but the malaise continues. It's not the weather, although my lack of cold weather running gear does make the endeavor that much sportier. I'm not sure what it is... To snap myself out of the running doldrums, I've decided to register for the Tacoma 1/2 marathon. A 13 mile jog around T-Town is going to be a challenge, and maybe that's what I need, a new challenge. At this point, I don't have a time goal to finish the run in, just that I want to finish without the aid of a gurney or wheelchair. Now I just need to keep dropping the pounds, work on my drama addicted hamstrings, and begin training...