I Don't Feel Like Running!

A strange thing happened to me this past Saturday. My alarm oh so pleasantly woke me up bright and early so I could get ready for my long run. Then (and this has never happened before), I just decided NOT to run. Not only that, I didn't feel bad about it! For someone who has used running over the years as a stress reliever, passion and way to stay healthy and fit, NOT running was never in my repertoire. I needed to run. However, on Saturday, and a few days past, another realization came to mind-sometimes it is okay, and even beneficial, to skip that run for a few days.

Running has been a great part of my life, but I can also safely say at points it has been an obsession. The only times I took time off were for the many and prevalent injuries I sustained from overtraining. When I didn't run, I felt listless, stressed, and unbalanced. My "runner's high" kept me sane. It also kept me from finding other healthy, balanced ways to regulate my stress and health. The all-or-nothing philosophy worked really well with running-until I got injured, of course.

In training for my next marathon, I've been battling extreme heat, a varying schedule, and a new addition into our household (our lovely German Shepherd, Juneau). Through the busyness, fatigue, and stress, I continued to fit in running. But I also began to feel the beginnings of burn-out: Irritability, constant fatigue and muscle soreness. In the past, I would continue to run through until my body couldn't take it and something broke down. This time, I just decided to take a few days off. I don't even have a specific day to come back (although I'm still in training for a marathon, so it can't be too long!). I do know that I want to look forward to my runs, and the break will be as long as that may take.

There's still a small pang of guilt for missing a few runs. But what are a few runs in the bigger scheme of a lifetime of health?

So I'll see you on the next run...or not. We'll see.

(This is a past post from 2011-I'm not training for a marathon right now!)

Create Positive Change in the New Year

It’s January. While the New Year is already in full swing, many of us have yet to decide, or begin, the resolutions we ambitiously attempt each New Year. Whether you make a resolution each year and never seem to fulfill it or you want to make changes but can’t decide where to start, you still have time to set goals and intentions for the New Year and successfully attain those goals this time around.

Take Some Time and Think

 It is easy for many of us to come up with ways in which we’d like to change. “I want to lose weight” is a big one for many, or “I want to eat healthier.” But coming up with resolutions without first doing a little self-discovery leaves your resolution shallow, and you less likely to follow through. If you have an easy time coming up with some goals, set aside a time for yourself where you can delve into the reasons why you’d like to change. If you’re interested in losing weight, are you doing it to look better? Or do you want to have more energy to spend with your kids, be a role model, and be able to walk up the stairs without getting winded? Finding your reasoning helps connect you to your goal, and gives you more motivation when you hit bumps in the road towards that change.

 If you have trouble coming up with a specific resolution, doing some reflective thinking will help too. Look back at yourself and think about times when your actions didn’t match up with your goals. What are some ways in which you could align the person you are now with the person you want to be? Your goal, whether it’s as simple as “being kinder to strangers,” or “not yelling at my husband so much” can present itself with some brief time spent in reflection.

 Don’t Give Up

 After you’ve set a resolution, don’t expect to be perfect and reach your goal without a few bumps in the road. Like the tortoise, moving slowly and steadily towards change allows you a realistic chance at accomplishing your goal. With any goal, but especially weight loss, the start is easy because you’ve been saturated with the opposite-sweets, fats, no exercise-through the holidays. The first day or two are workable, but then the cravings start. If you cave, don’t give up! One day or one week will not hurt you. What will hurt you is accepting failure and not making changes in the long run. Instead of going full throttle, consider moving more slowly and carefully towards change; making small changes one at a time.

Set Reassessment Dates

 After a month or two, look back at your progress (or lack of progress) thus far. Have you made some gains towards your resolution, or have you forgotten all about it? Now is the time to reassess. In a reassessment, you adjust your goal based on your progress and how likely you are to stick with it. If you’ve been doing well, your next step is either to continue or to step it up a notch and set an even more ambitious target. For instance, if your goal was to work out twice a week and you’ve been accomplishing that easily, move it up to three times a week. However, if you’ve gotten discouraged and haven’t been successful, it’s time to check in and see if you need to adjust your goal so it is more realistic and attainable. Perhaps your resolution was to give up sweets, and you caved a few days later and binged on some cookies in the office. Instead, revising your goal, like eating one sweet per day, is more realistic and better than giving up altogether.

Start Again

Don’t forget that January 1st isn’t the only day you can make changes in your life! You can start on any day, at any time. Keep working towards those resolutions, no matter when in the year they may occur, and you can make positive, healthy changes in your life.