Uninspirational Words

Today I dressed for upper 30s, no wind, sun or rain. I had on tights, my 2007 NYC ING Marathon wick-away shirt, another warm, but wicking layer on top and a hat. I walked out the door and, as I approached the elevator, changed my mind and went back into my apartment.

I didn't run.

This is rare for me but I'm not beating myself up about it. I'm not starving myself in punishment. I'm not planning to add more miles to tomorrow's run to make up for it. Sometimes, I decide not to do what I said I was going to do. But usually, if I say I'm going running, come rain, sleet or snow, I'll be out there.

Lately, I've been asked a lot what "drives" me to run. I don't think of myself as driven, in a good or bad way. I don't have a wondrous words of inspiration. All I can say is that, most of the time, the thing that gets me out the door is the fact that I promised myself earlier in the day or the evening before that I would go for a run. And if I can't keep a promise to myself, what does that say about promises I make to others?

Knowing what to wear is about removing another layer of the excuses we make for not taking care of our bodies. Running, or not, is a choice. Neither is especially bad or good. But if you're fighting with that part of you that makes excuses, try making a very specific promise. Promise yourself that you will run x miles on a specific day at a specific point in the day (before work, at lunch, after work before you do anything else). And then keep that promise. It's that easy, even when it sounds hard.

Good luck!