Midweek Motivation – What’s Stopping You?

I discovered a love for running a couple of years back and it has been a regular part of my summer fitness routine ever since. Last year my running season started in June and lasted until October. By this time I was running quite a fast 5k 3 or 4 times a week, but as soon as October arrived and the mild light mornings were replaced with bitter pitch dark ones, I packed away my gear in a drawer and it has lain there forgotten ever since.

It’s been in my head for a while that I was going to attempt my first run at Easter to ease myself back in again. I’ve been mentally preparing myself for the fact that the first run back will be hard and disheartening.

Then on Monday night I was on Twitter and the conversation turned to what relaxes you/keeps anxiety at bay and my answer was, of course, running. We were midway through swopping our favourite running books and inspirational quotes when it hit me: god I miss running! And it occurred to me: what exactly am I waiting for? Why do I have to wait until Easter, can’t I just do it now?

Here were the reasons I came up with: 

• It’s too cold.
• I don’t have a long sleeved running top.
• I don’t have running gloves.
• It’s too dark.
• I haven’t planned it!

After mulling it over, I realised that whilst some of these were good reasons a month ago, now they’ve just turned into excuses. The mornings are getting lighter, it isn’t quite so cold, and anyway, who cares if I don’t have a specific winter running top… I’m so unfit that it’s unlikely I’ll be out for any great length of time – a normal sweater will do for now!

I went upstairs, opened my running drawer and pulled out the essentials. A top, my running leggings, sports bra, socks, sweat band and the trendiest of items – my bum bag! (I’ve got to put my house key somewhere okay?!). I left these in a pile outside my room, to make it easy for me to grab everything in the morning.

The next day my early alarm woke me from the middle of a dream and I was seriously contemplating forgetting the whole thing and snoozing for an extra hour. It was darker than I’d thought it would be, and as I laced up my trainers I realised that I could hear the pitter patter of rain against the window. I pulled on my rain jacket and stepped outside before my brain had a chance to register it’s disapproval.

And do you know what?  

It felt amazing!

Okay so maybe not for that first minute when I realised that yes I actually DO need gloves as my fingers were already freezing, or halfway through when my lungs started burning and I got a stitch.

But it felt amazing when I realised on the home straight that despite everything I’d managed to run the whole way; and when a lorry drove past and splashed me from head to toe and I was so wet from the rain already that I just squealed and ran on laughing to myself. 

And finally when I got back to my front door and stood for a minute in the rain, trying to catch my breath, telling myself “you did it, you actually did it!”. Followed swiftly by “let’s do it again tomorrow!”

You see the only thing stopping me as it turned out, was myself.