No Excuses

If there ever was a time to Shut Up and Run, it was today.

Do you ever want to wimp out?  You plan an early morning workout and the later you stay up and the more you drink, eat, etc., the more you negotiate with yourself about why you don’t really need to get up that early, or why you don’t really need to do that workout anyway.

By the time you lay your head down to rest at midnight, stuffed and dehydrated, you move the alarm to the off position and think, “Oh well. Working out isn’t everything. I’m sure I can fit it in later in the day or next week or never. I’m just destined to {insert adjective here}: be lazy, be out of shape, not meet my goal.

Maybe it’s that you were at the Rockies game really late last night while there was a rain delay:

And maybe you had two of these:

And one of these with a mound of fries (and a few farts):

Or maybe it’s that you are tired from previous workouts this week.

Or maybe you have a really full day ahead and it makes you tired to start an hour or two earlier for your workout.

Or maybe, for just a minute, you stopped caring and lost sight of your goal.

But, in the deep dark of the night, your conscience gets to you and you know you can’t cop out. You remember you have a blog that espouses “no excuses” and “getting shit done without complaining.” You know that you need to do what you said you were going to do because …..well, only because you promised yourself you’d do it.

The thing is, no one really cares but you. Sure your friends and husband and parents want you to meet your goals, to get in shape, whatever. But when push comes to shove, it is you who has the most invested. It is you and only you who has the most to lose if you don’t stick to your plan. And, the most to gain if you do.

You have to live in your brain and heart everyday and take the brunt of not doing what you said you would do.

Back to me. This is how it went down. I woke up at 5:50 a.m., groaning. I slapped on some clothes, fed the dog and was running by 6:05 a.m. I don’t know how I did it. No coffee, no food, no iPod. I just thought, “This workout will suck and then it will be done.”

It was a tougher workout, being so tired. Plus the water fountains at the lake weren’t working and I don’t like to drink liquid e-coli, so I kept my face out of the lake. But, by mile two, as is always the case, I found my stride. 6.55 miles in 57 minutes.

I am never sorry I did it. Never. In fact, by the time I showered, stopped by Starbucks and was on my way to work at 7:30 a.m. (yes, I’m that fast. I told you I don’t like to spend time getting ready), I was on top of the world.

Here is my attempt at advice. Stop thinking so much and getting in your own way. Thinking merely allows an outlet to not do something. Just put it into action without the forethought of: it’s too hot, I’m too tired, I don’t have time, I don’t feel like it. If being in shape, losing weight, running marathons was easy, everyone would do it. It’s not supposed to be easy.

When those thoughts creep in, kick them to the curb. Then do what you said you were going to do. You’ll be glad you did.

How do you motivate yourself when the going gets tough?

SUAR