Excuses, Excuses

It would have been incredibly easy to find lots of excuses tonight.  It's cold, it's dark, it's icy, maybe it's not safe...the list goes on and on.  In addition to that, the fire in the wood stove was very inviting.  It's easy to find excuses and I'm good at it.  Then there is procrastination and I'm a master at that.  "I'll go after I work on report cards (yeah, those still aren't finished).  I could just clean the bathroom.  Maybe I should do some Christmas shopping."  The truth is there are reasons to not run everywhere you turn, especially during busy times of the year.  Instead of letting those excuses deter me any longer than the half hour of time I wasted, I changed, grabbed my headlamp and reflective vest and headed out.

When I first got out I was slightly annoyed with myself that I took on this challenge.  Why do I do these things to myself, I thought.  If I quit now I'll be letting someone down.  Just before the end of my 3 miles I realized that when I skip a run or a workout the only person that I'm letting down is myself.  When I had to bow out of the Boston Marathon a couple of years ago I was so worried that people would think I was a quitter.  It occurred to me that I felt like a quitter, but other people probably didn't give it that much thought at all.  Skipping runs for silly reasons has been disappointing me for awhile now.  This challenge is really helping me get back on track.  I am definitely my own worst critic.

As I finished the last quarter mile before my house I felt like I was running Reach the Beach.  It was cold, it was dark, I was alone, at moments it felt unsafe.  Then I realized those excuses don't stop me in September. Just imagine how prepared I'd be if I trained in those conditions all the time!

Tomorrow morning's 5 am running date could be a whole different story.  My warm bed usually beats out just about anything!

Fresh Air, a little snow, and a couple of dogs...

It's quite remarkable how little it takes to turn an exhausting day around.

  I was concerned about the roads being slippery tonight, so I took two of my dogs to Kingman Farm to run on the trails.  It's one of my favorite places to run and snowshoe, but I don't usually go alone at night.  I had my headlamp, but I wasn't quite as confident out there as I thought I would be.

I was only out for about 20 minutes, but I needed the fresh air.  The great thing about this challenge is that it is forcing me out on nights that I would typically find reasons not to go.  I am missing having access to a treadmill since the only daylight I can seem to find is on the weekends.  I would definitely be running longer on the treadmill on some of these nights.

I'm feeling grateful for this challenge, but wondering if it might be easier if it were an exercise every day challenge vs. a run every day challenge.  I guess it wouldn't be a challenge if it were easy...

Days 6, 7 and 8

Blogging my experience during this challenge is proving to be more challenging than the running.

Friday was day 6.  I was exhausted and didn't feel great so I only ran the required 1 mile.

Saturday was day 7.  I ran 2 miles from school.  It was a little break from report cards and a perfect change of scenery to run in Portsmouth.  I saw my first snow on this run and I can't wait to run in a big storm!

Today was day 8 and I did a great 6 mile run with Elizabeth Boutin this morning.  We ran the Bobcat Bolt 10k course in Durham at 7 am this morning.  It was 20 degrees and cold, but running with a friend makes those cold runs a little bit warmer. It's great to have running dates for weekend mornings.  It keeps me well-behaved on weekend nights and morning runs make me feel like I can conquer the world for the rest of the day!  I didn't conquer the world today, but there is always tomorrow.

Day 9, I'm ready for you!

It's All About the Discipline

I only ran 1 little mile tonight and that seemed a little silly.  It's interesting how setting a goal like this makes you reevaluate priorities and make the most of your time.  All the little excuses I seem to have found over that last couple of months seem to be insignificant after only 5 days.  This is exactly what I needed in this crazy busy month to keep myself focused and productive.

A running friend just passed this article along to me.  I love the inspiration.  I remember going out for a run the day my dad died, I can remember how hot it was, where I ran and how far I ran.  I also remember feeling like I was so emotionally drained that I couldn't possibly finish 3.7 miles.  Interestingly, I, too, think it was one of the hardest runs I've ever had.  Running carried me through that rough time and again 5 months later when my mom died.  Running helped me survive what proved to be some very challenging years following the unexpected deaths of both of my parents in such a short period of time.  It has healing powers, it's good for your soul...get out there!

http://www.wral.com/after-30-years-and-11-000-miles-raleigh-runner-not-slowing-down/13187123/

Day 4 Done

Some days are about just getting it done.  That's what I did today.  The challenge says you have to run a minimum of 1 mile each day.  I was only going to run a mile today, but Chris suggested 2.  We ran a loop that was a bit over 2.  I guess that if I'm going to make the effort to get cold weather running clothes on then it makes sense to get out there for longer than a mile.  Run and done!

Rosy red cheeks, heavy legs, report cards and, "What's for dinner?"

One of the things I love about winter running is coming home with rosy red cheeks.  It makes me feel healthy and alive!  It also reminds me of playing outside as a little kid and running is like my play!  If you look up the benefits of play for children you will find lots of research on the subject.  Let me list some of the benefits:

• enjoyment, fun, love of life
• relaxation, release of energy, tension reduction
• self-confidence
• self-esteem
• anxiety reduction
• attention regulation
• concentration 
• persistence

Running provides all these benefits to me, not to mention the physical benefits.  "Play teaches kids to, well, play nice."  Running may not teach me to play nice, but it sure helps me to play nice.  I'm so much more tolerant of, well, life's annoyances when I'm running regularly.  

So what's with my title of this post?  Well, those were the four things that went through my mind over and over again during my 2.75 miles tonight as I was thinking about what I would write about.  

My legs were heavy from double sessions of running and kettlebell, report cards are weighing heavy on my brain and the question, "What's for dinner?"  makes me slightly crazed every night.  

I kept thinking of these four things the entire time, but as I passed the first mile, my legs felt lighter and when I hit mile 2.5 I felt like I could keep running for a long time, but then BAM, report cards and "What's for dinner?"  kept consuming my mind.  Thankfully, I finished with rosy red cheeks and a sense of accomplishment.  

Dinner happened.  Report cards?  Wellllllllll, is there a 30 day, 1 report card per day challenge out there?  If so, I need it!

Day 3 is done.  

Bye, Bye Pumpkin Pie

Running has never really been about weight loss for me; however, it certainly has helped me keep some pounds off.  I love it because it's one of the easiest, most efficient ways to burn off extra calories without having to give up all of your favorite things.  Speaking of favorite things, pumpkin pie is right at the top of my list.  That would be why after eating more than half of a pumpkin pie, all by myself, over the course of 4 days, I forced myself to throw it into the trash can.  So that's what fueled me today...the need to say goodbye to the pie and the extra calories it brought me.

 Chris and I ran 2 miles before heading to SKB.  My goal is to run at least 2 miles on the days that I go to a class and longer on the days that I don't.  Day 2 is in the books and I looked forward to my run all day long.  I wanted to include a photo every day, but it was dark tonight and I'm not used to running with my phone.  I intentionally leave my phone at home when I run.  No music and no phone, that's they way I like it.

Some days are just easier than others...

The first real day of the challenge was not a challenge, it was a treat.  It was a little rainy and very grey, but there are many days that you have to make your own sunshine and running usually helps me do that.  I got to enjoy the company of Chris and though he says running never gets easier for him, you would certainly never know it.  My photo of the day is him running just a little ahead of me.  He's always a few steps ahead of me. :)  We ran an easy 3 miles and I expect the real challenge to begin when I head back to work tomorrow and struggle with finding enough daylight each day.

While running a 5k last week, a third grade girl, on my Girls on the Run team said to me, "I wonder when I'll be able to run without thinking about it, Ms. Monmaney?"  I'm not sure that I've ever been able to run without thinking about it, but sometimes all of the other thoughts drown out the the thought of putting one foot in front of the other.

Until tomorrow...