Hi! It's the Saturday after Thanksgiving, and I gotta say I feel a little heavier than I did a couple days ago. Of course I have eaten more than usual the past couple of days, but I didn't go crazy. Getting plenty of exercise this week really helped me stay on track and continue feeling great, regardless of how I ate.
On Sunday, I ran a 10K. Monday was a rest day. Tuesday I ran about 2 quick miles, including some hill repeats. Wednesday, I "rested," while trying to finish my work and do stuff with the girls and get ready for Thanksgiving. Thursday, we ran/walked a 5K as a family, and Friday I rested again.
Today, I was planning on sleeping in (Bill has to be at work at 6am on Saturdays so he usually gets up and walks the dogs and feeds everyone and lets me and the girls keep sleeping). But since I went to bed at 8:45pm last night, I found myself wide awake at 5am. I decided to get up and see Bill off and be as productive as possible, which included getting dressed in my running clothes rather than leaving my jammies on.
At 6:30, after I had emailed and face booked, I decided I should get my run in before the girls woke up. I just threw on my shoes and headed out the door. It was very cold and still dark, and my dog-walking neighbor looked at me like I was crazy. The first mile was rough--I was cold and stiff and couldn't remember why in the world running seemed like a good idea. But as I warmed up, my legs started to feel stronger and I started to feel happier and I remembered how great running makes me feel. By the end, I felt fantastic. I love feeling my strong heartbeat as I cool down, and I always get a kick out of the plumes of steam coming off all my exposed skin in the cold air. When I was finished, I came in and stretched and did some yoga and cuddled with my cats.
I read a quote yesterday that said something like: "The feeling you get from running is way better than the feeling you get from sitting on the sofa wishing you were running." It is such a huge challenge to get yourself out there and get started. Especially in the wintertime, it is so tempting to just stay inside and stay cozy. But when you force yourself to get up and get going, that's when you really start living. There's just no other feeling like it--you feel good about yourself, you feel a little self-righteous, you feel in control, you feel strong and healthy and capable.
I have had several people come up to me, especially recently, and tell me they plan to start running sometime soon. After they finish something, or when the weather warms up, or after they buy a new pair of shoes, or after they lose a few pounds. I totally commend anyone who is inspired to make healthy changes in their life. But I want to say this one thing about running: it is never going to be the perfect time to get started. All the factors in your busy life are never going to align to make it easy to start running.
You will always have a hundred really good reasons why today isn't the best day--you're stiff, you have too much to do, you should really vacuum instead of exercising, you drank too much last night, you're a little dehydrated, it's too cold outside, you need new shoes, etc. The only thing you can do is just start. Ignore all those little excuses your mind is teasing you with. Act like running is part of your daily routine--you don't have to talk yourself into taking a shower or brushing your teeth or feeding the dog, because those things aren't optional. Don't let exercise be optional, either. Sometimes, the only motivation I have to get out there is a simple as, "Today is a running day."
It does help to have a schedule, so maybe a good first step for you is planning what days you will exercise, and writing it on your calendar. I always have a plan in my head of what exercise I'm doing each week, and I try not to let more than one day go by without exercise. Even if it's just walking the girls to school...that's part of my plan. I have a couple of basic guidelines, like "run at least 3 times this week" or "do two long walks this week."
I have never followed a formal training program for an upcoming race. This year, I decided I was going to improve my time for the Iron Girl Half Marathon in Columbia in April. I will be starting a formal novice training program with a group of my girlfriends in late December. I am so excited to have a program to follow and a group of people to support (and be supported by!). Running is such a great way to stay healthy and stay social and boost your self-confidence.
Good luck with whatever exercise program you follow, and please get in touch with me if you want to be part of my training group for the Iron Girl Half Marathon!
Have a wonderful weekend!
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