I may sound like I am very disciplined in my last post. However, trust me, I don’t always wake up ready for my training. I procrastinate and take my own sweet time. Here’s an example of my sloth-like preparation just to leave the house.
Just when I thought I could take a break and enjoy the festive seasons a bit, my hubby had to remind me that there is no time to relax. He is trying to convince me to join him at the Sundown Marathon 2017. A week plus after Sundown, we have the 2XU Compression Run. So, he told me I cannot take such a long recovery break. Boohoo…
I am not a big fan of night runs because I am a day person and not a night person. The last time I ran the Sundown Half Marathon, I felt so demotivated running past the flats with lights off. Everyone was sleeping… I also felt lured into the Lalaland mode. Anyway, I am still considering. It is not a yes or a no at the moment. I have signed up for the Urun All Access, so I am on the safe side.
Nevertheless, I started my training yesterday morning with interval training – 10mins warm up; 6 x (1min fast and 3mins easy); 10mins cool down. Sounded like an easy run to kick off and get the momentum going. However, getting out of the house was another thing.
My alarm rang at 4.45am. I stopped it and then lazed around on the bed a little more. Finally got out of bed 15 minutes later. Then I sat on the “throne” a little longer than I should, got dressed, drank milo, sat on the sofa and read some news and my daughter woke up when I was about to leave. I went into the room and laid down next to her for a while. Finally, when she stopped tossing and turning, I stepped out again. The whole process took me 60 minutes and I finally left home at 6am!
The whole feeling changed when I was finally outside. The air smelled fresh though chilly (December morning weather can be really cold) and I felt charged up enough to run. The moon was so bright and round, it reminded me of the super moon. The skies were clear yesterday.
I realised that the most difficult part of my training so far is getting out of the house. There are always things to do. One of the ways I overcome it is to prepare the running attire a night before or wear it to bed. Psychologically, the mind seems to know there is an activity early in the morning and the body feels more ready. I also remind my hubby of my training so that he can listen out to my daughter’s cries and attend to her as needed. On days as such, I would step out of the house as quickly as possible. If I am planning to run after work, I will leave my attire on the sofa in the morning.
So, you see. It’s all in the mind! We just need to overcome all the reasons we come up for ourselves and just get it started. It always feels good after a run, even if it’s a really short one. Once we achieve the momentum, it will be easier to maintain.
