Listening To Your Mind and Body

For the past week and ½ I’ve been at war with my brain about running.

Last week it was extremely hot and humid where I live so running outside wasn’t an option. I could’ve gotten up early and gone but chose not to. I have a gym membership, yet didn’t use it but once during the week.

Maybe it’s because I’m not a morning person. I’m not one at all. I’ve never been and have finally accepted the fact that I need to stop stressing about it and just deal with it. I’m married to a man who is a morning person and my in-laws are morning people but I am not.

So why have I not run?

The answer is simple. I don’t have one.

I love to run. I don’t know why exactly but I do. I think it might be a combination of always thinking when I was young that I would see someone running outside and think that it was amazing that their body could do that and that it took discipline. I also love the way it make me feels after I run but not so much during it.

So why I haven’t I been out there? I still don’t know. I do know that I get lazy like the next person and running is hard. Yup, if you never really thought about it and just spend time beating yourself up mentally for not lacing up and getting out there, just remember: running is freaking hard! As the saying goes, “If running wasn’t hard, everyone would be doing it.” I’m not sure how true it is that everyone would be doing it but you get the idea.

With that said, I’ve decided to work with what I’ve got, which is a non-morning body and mind and just plain being human. There is no point to beating myself up for not getting out there. There is no point in thinking that I can become a morning person and make myself miserable trying.

What there is a point to is I love running and I need to make it enjoyable for ME because I’m not going to be a sponsored or elite athlete, well, ever, so who else am I doing this for? No one.

So don’t beat yourself up if you miss some runs. Don’t beat yourself up if you think you should be getting up early or anything else that you think “everyone else” is doing because they are having the same mental battles you are and there is no point to them. Make things as easy for yourself as you can (but not so easy that you aren’t challenging yourself) and get out there and enjoy yourself!

Ok, tonight when I get home from work I’m going to take my own advice.

Happy running everyone!