Forcing Yourself out the Door

Starting is always the hardest part.

There have been so many times where I've been sitting on the couch thinking about how I should go for a run, but then come up with every excuse possible as to why I shouldn't
Sometimes just simply lacing up your sneakers and getting out the door is actually harder than the run itself.

Tonight, I had just finished a long week working five 12 hour shifts in a row and am still in the process of switching my body and brain off nights. I was sitting on the couch, super comfy, still in sweatpants, and came to the realization that it was ALREADY 7pm! I couldn't believe where the time had gone, I felt like I had wasted the day, without even being sure what I had accomplished.. (nothing by the way). 
According to my ultra training plan, I was due for a cross training day. However, I hadn't run in 2 days and was feeling very guilty about this.
As you can imagine, all of these factors should have been a big influence on getting my butt out the door, but I just wasn't feeling it tonight. Every reason I had to get outside and be active, I followed up with an excuse.

Reason: "Its gorgeous out today and the sun is going down soon."
Excuse: "It will be nice tomorrow too.. and I don't have enough sunlight left for a long run, so maybe I just won't go."

Reason: "I will feel so much better after I run."
Excuse: "But I'm SO comfy sitting on the couch right now."

Reason: "Look at me, I'm so out of shape I NEED to run and train or ill never complete this ultra."
Excuse: "Or I could just sit here and be lazy like everyone else in the world."

The thing is, you need to be stronger than your best excuse.
There will always be a perfect reason to not do something. But if you really think about it, what are you gaining, from holding yourself back?
Why are you afraid of allowing yourself to succeed?
Why not spend an hour of your day, in order to gain years on your life?
Why do we allow ourselves to become so comfortable that we fear doing what we know will increase our happiness and improve our lives?

Remind yourself of these things, and just get out there and get it done. You'll always feel better and more accomplished once you're done, trust me, I did.


Even something as simple as a short run or a quick walk is 100x better than doing nothing at all.
So be stronger than your best excuse, and force yourself out that door!
Happy trails friends,
The Rural Runner

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