The way this post will end is that I’ll somehow justify the last few months of my sub-standard running with all kinds of reasons like injury and life and other things I find time to complain about. The way it should end, though, is that I’m pretty unmotivated and have found myself taking the easy (lazy?) way out quite a bit. And it is showing.
Most days I do not feel like running. With the weather getting a lot colder, I find myself avoiding going out into it and promising a treadmill run later in the day. That, of course, does not work 90% of the time and therefore I find myself either on the spin bike or not running at all. Then there is the injury. While it’s honestly kept me from longer runs, there’s no reason I can’t run four or five miles most days of the week and be just fine. And yet, I use it as an excuse.
None of this, of course, is doing anything good for me. I am less motivated overall when I slack with running, and I end up not feeling good, feeling like I have less energy, and, the most dreaded fact of all, gaining weight. Why do I do it? Why do I let myself go down this road when I know it can so easily be different? I don’t think I’ll ever know the answer to that. But I don’t want to continue to ask myself why, either.
This past weekend I watched several friends complete their races, running well with smiles on their faces and that look of accomplishment only a finish line can bring. I clapped and cheered and recieved sweaty hugs from most of them all over the span of almost five hours. It was a great thing to be a part of and, hopefully, just what I need.
My plan is this: start over. The race environment reminded me of the motivation of training with a goal in mind. So I’m going to start over, as if I’m building toward a goal and training for a distance. This isn’t going to be easy with the weather, but in the middle of January a local winter racing series begins, and by that time I’d like to comfortably run all those races, and not mind how I look in the pictures, either. Though it may seem petty, that is a lot of my motivation. I didn’t work hard to lose weight only to do it for a season. And I know running can help me with that. I will feel better if I take care of myself better.
So while I could come up with a lot of reasons why I’m not motivated, I’m just going to tell myself to stop being lazy. I am being hard on myself, yes, but that’s what I need. I also need to keep fitting into my pants. It may not be true for everyone, but if it’s my mission to avoid laziness, I’ll know I can keep going.
I’ll also share my training plan. Not because I think anyone cares (except those few emails I get a couple times a year that ask me about training) but because it’ll keep me in line. And hopefully when someone sees me slacking off, you’ll say something like “go, lazy ass” and then I will. Hopefully.
Day 1 of my Start Over/Avoid Laziness Training Plan: run three 10-minute intervals on the treadmill with 2-minute walk breaks.
I’ll report tomorrow. And obviously you’ll be on the edge of your seat.
{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
i totally fell you on this one. i haven’t run since august. i feel like crap about it. my stupid ankle injury won’t go away. i can still feel it even when i do yoga. it makes me sad because i don’t know if i’ll run again, despite all the stupid ortho appts and orthotics i bought, not to mention all the new shoes i bought trying to fix the problem.
but this post has kinda motivated me to just try to get back into it again. you’re not being lazy though – sometimes life just gets in the way and we lose focus. i hope your run is successful today
good luck!
Yes, def share your training plan, I care! I will even try to follow along with you with the caveat that in the winter most of my weekday running will be on the treadmill. We could be training buddies from afar!
I will do Day 1 but I will not take the walk breaks. I will run 30 minutes this afternoon.
Well I better get my lazy ass to the gym TONIGHT then because I will not be left (too far) behind.
Start reading Kristin Armstrong (Lance Armstrong’s former wife) at Runner’s World. Her blog “Mile Markers” is great. Very motivational. She always seems to tap into some great emotion, spirit, life lesson sort of thing. She’ll get you running again!
http://milemarkers.runnersworld.com/
I haven’t been to the gym in at least three weeks and I’m starting to feel it. Probably starting to show it, too, but I’m still in denial.
Thank you for making me want to be more motivated. I haven’t run since my last race in mid-November. I look forward to reading your ass-kicking, stop-being-lazy posts.
To everyone who might be beating themselves up over their lack of motivation or recent lack of activity, keep in mind that when you give 100% of yourself 100% of the time, you end up with nothing left to give. It’s OK to stop and recharge the batteries. It’s OK to let your mind, body and spirit recover from the punishing we so often give ourselves. That said, only you will know when you’ve crossed the line from recovered to recalcitrant. The simplest test is a slow, easy run for about 30 minutes. If you finish tired but happy, it’s time to get back in gear. If you finish in pain and misery, stick with the spin bike, the elliptical or the pool.
As I never have a ‘training plan’ I would love to hear your details … basically I just cram in runs whenever I can and at whatever distance (weekdays 4-6 miles, hopefully more on the wkend) and energy I can manage. I know I should be more structured!
My friend said last week “I am training for the holidays!” which I think is funny. I should be training more strenuously, I think, to counter all the cookies/candies/chocolates/cheese plates already coming my way but, you know …
(ps: I also think it’s SO much harder to keep motivated when it gets dark early and it’s cold!!)
I’m already following a plan but I’m happy to encourage you to stick to yours!
My favorite new running workout is speed workouts.
If you want to do speed workouts and want to do it on a TM (I hate the track) go find RUNERVALS on line – they are DVD workouts, I have 2.0. You set the base pace and build off that. In 36 minutes I guarantee you will feel great about your workout.
I’m not going to tell you that you can do this, you know that.
Keep putting one foot in front of the other.
jc
Best of luck. I defitnely think you can do it.
oh lady, i hear you. im right there with you.
the winter months are so hard for sticking to both a routine exercise plan and a healthy eating plan (for me anyways).
on the freezing mornings i would rather stay hidden under the covers than busting my booty on the eliptical, and on cold nights id rather curl up with a blanket and a glass of wine than cook a healthy meal.
so? i get it.
let’s do this together. your excitement motivates me.
The cold weather can definitely dampen the spirit and the desire to get out and move! I just want to burrow back into the blankets and “do it later!” It is awesome that you are starting this. But then again, you are awesome don’t ya know!
(Okay, I will tell you!! You are awesome!)
It’s all about the baby steps…training in the winter, so not fun. It’s why I don’t like doing those earlier marathons. Darn Boston…they should move it a month out!!