Just Get Out the Door

Saturday night we got rain here in South Texas.  Not as much as we need, but enough to bring a little coolness to Sunday’s morning air.  I owed a longer run to my half-marathon training.  I woke up around 5:45 and thought, Hey – I’m up early; I can go as soon as it gets light. 

Enter the excuses.  I’ll sleep a little longer.  There will be too many puddles.  I just want to relax with some coffee.  Don’t I still hear some rain?

Back to sleep.  Repeat at 6:30 and again at 8 (I’m still making up for all those late Olympic nights).  Finally around 8:45 I got up.  Opened the door.  Put on running clothes.  Put my iPod in the armband.  But I wanted breakfast.  And to get back to my Asa Larsson novel.  And a hundred other things besides going for a run.  I decided to blow it off.  I’ll have more time once school starts, right?  What’s so bad about skipping one run anyway?  Besides, I’ve waited too long – Now I’ll have no energy.  And it's already heating up.  Running will feel so much better in…October.  

Sometimes I resist what I know is good for me, and I have to laugh at this pesky little frame of mind – it sounds so soothing and reasonable.  It wants me to be comfortable.  It wants me to feel good right now.  It tries to convince me that I'll be really excited to run later, whenever that is.  

What do you do?  You can’t fight the voice - you know what you’re supposed to do, and it knows how to keep throwing up walls.  

I paced around the house, dithering and letting the voice have its say for a while longer.  Then I did what I’ve learned to do in this situation.  I thought of how I’d feel the next day if I didn’t make this run, and how good the next race will feel if I do.  And I told myself, At least get out the door and down the street – you can always turn around.  I went.  Forty-five minutes later I was back - energized - and hubby had breakfast ready.  Win-win.

My point?  Everyone struggles.  Working out doesn’t always sound fun.  You won’t stay motivated 100% of the time.  Acknowledge your resistance, have a little laugh at your creative excuses, and get moving anyway.