Excuses…
We all use them. Some people much more then others. I admit it, I feel I use them to much. Why? Some day I hope to find that answer. But for now, I have plenty of excuses for why not to run ‘today’, for not training and putting off reaching my goals. I started writing this blog in February and now it is October... Though out the year I always had an ‘excuses\’ for not working on this it. I think biggest thing that stopped me was that fact I would be facing the truths, admitting all the excuses I use. So without any further delay here are the most common excuses I use.
“To tired”. “I think might be sick”
“The couch is warm and I should rest if I feel this tired.”
“If I do get up, then I will have to go change in to running/work out cloths. Then figure out what I’m going to do and or were to go…”
Yes the couch is warm, but I am tired because I am not doing anything. Once I get going I will feel better and want to do more. Changing only takes 2 minutes and if I just get out the door I will know where I want to go. I will feel better getting up and doing something vs. just napping. I admit, I also feel guilty for being a bit of hypercondriac at times. I know the fresh air will help me but to often I have chosen to be ‘sick’ or ‘injured’
“I just spent the morning cleaning so I can rest now.”
Cleaning is not that tiresome. Period.
“I just ran/hiked/snow-shoed last night/this morning that was enough.”
I will not feel that tired from just those activities and it will not help me by not doing more. I need to stop short-changing myself. There is a reason I bought work out videos and other work out accessories and it was not to collect dust, it’s to be able to work all my muscles groups. I have these options so I don’t have to do the same thing all the time. The wonderful term is cross training. I need to do it more and not ignore it.
“It is to hot.”
I have the most trouble at races when I get to hot. I need to take advantage of these hot days for heat training. I just need to put some ice in my bottles and see what I can do. Not to mention there are plenty of other activities(also called cross training) I can do in the heat. (cough kayaking cough cough..)
“It’s to cold!”
Truth is I have enough cold gear to be quite toasty while outside. If it is 20* or above it is not that bad at all. I have gone out in worst. I have always warmed up fast and I have never come back cold. If it is that cold, there is that stuff I bought to use, treadmill, videos, weights….(that cross training thing again)
“But the snowbanks! I can’t get to the side of the road to get way from the cars. And if it snowing, what if the plow truck comes by??”
Cars are generally nice and do slow down and or at least go around me just fine. I wear bright colors and a light so they can see me. The plows are no big deal, I have dealt with them with out incident in the past. I go to the other side of road and wait until they pass. Some times I stand on the snowbank to get further out of the way or if there is other traffic.
“I despise running buy kids at bus stops”
That will never change. So I run up or down Bog Road and Colby Hill, there are hardly any kids. The best option is Fox Forest. No kids hiking that early!
“I worry about dog encounters”
I am so sick of dogs!! So I now carry two different mace/pepper sprays in hopes it will stop them. What more can I do? Got to face it or it will keep me trapped in the house. I am doomed to get bit one of these days.(Cops will know when that happens!)
“If I workout too much I will be tired or sore for work.”
Work smerk.. I have worked on very sore legs after races and got by just fine. There are people at work to help me hold the dogs down, but at races it’s only my legs, my body, that will get me up the hills and to the finish line.
“I should do errands instead. Things like clean the house or house hold shopping.”
Those are important things for me to get done, but I need to plan my chores and errands around my training. A little planning goes a long ways.
“I do not like running at night because of cars, people, dogs, and just plain old afraid of the dark.”
Find a friend to run with me, bring a light and wear good night time clothing.. Simplest safest solution. Either that or try to run on the treadmill…(yes I can not run on a treadmill, love speed walking on full incline though)
“I am going to walk the hill”
This is a new one, but I feel I have been milking the ultrarunner mantra of ‘walk the hills’ to much. I need to run the hills while training. And if I am not running them I need to put more effort/training into fast hiking them. But during tapering and the race play it by ear and hike the hills as needed.
That’s that! Now that I have admitted these excuses and explained why I should not use them I hope I will use them A LOT less. :-)
