I’ve googled A WHOLE LOT of things this year, from presidential lines of succession to alpha-dog behaviors to whether a human and bear can ever truly be friends (spoiler alert: they can’t.)
But the thing I’ve surely asked the internet most often this year is a telling sign of my often-wavering commitment to fitness: “Should I go for a run today?”
If you saw my internet browsing history, you’d think I’m always looking for an excuse to get out of my morning workout. (You’d also think I have an unhealthy level of curiosity about Bernedoodles, and you’d be right.)
Seriously though. When I wake up with a sore throat, I immediately consult the internet for validation it’s OK to stay in bed. When the temperature falls below 15 degrees, I always ask Jeeves if it’s safer to just take the morning off. When I feel the beginning of shin splints, I confirm online it’s cool to lay low for as many days as needed. I’m always asking if I should go for a run today, and I can usually find a credible excuse to bag it.
That is, until I started my holiday running streak. (Read more about that here.) By committing to run every single day between Thanksgiving and Christmas — no excuses — I suddenly transformed my constant refrain from the wavering “Should I go for a run today?” to a new, happier mantra: “When should I go for a run today?”
Amazing how just a single word can transform a sentence.
[Kind of like: “My childhood bedroom featured an original Michelangelo” is just a tad different than “My childhood bedroom featured an original Michelangelo … turtle.” No less valuable though, I assure you. But I digress.]
Changing my mindset from “will I run” to “when will I run” these last few weeks has been an eye opener. When I know skipping isn’t on the table, working out suddenly feels more like a gift and less like a chore. It also means I’ve had to get creative: logging treadmill miles when it’s freezing or doing hill sprints in the light of my husband’s headlights at night or jogging in place in the living room during a snow storm while watching the hands-down very-best episode of Boy Meets World ever.
More of my runs during this streak have been 1-milers instead of the 3-5 milers I’d been hoping for, but I haven’t thrown in the towel — even with shin splits, holiday hangovers and a Bernese who’d rather snuggle than go for a jog.
Funny how finding time to run isn’t so hard when not finding it isn’t an option. Funny, too, how our dog thinks she weighs 12 pounds.
Here’s to my final streak week! Who’s also still going strong?
Riled Up Runner 