Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Sometimes it is so damn hard to get motivated for a morning run

I used to loathe morning runs, but work and marathon training so clashed with one another... and taking care of two kids... that the only time for me to run is when the working world and my family are sleeping.

So, as I jogged this morning in the darkness of a fall dawn I was pleasantly surprised at my easy stride, strong legs and stamina. This reminded me of one of the first important lessons I learned about running: Once you start training -- and get into a rhythm -- your muscles are more cooperative and willing to train and less likely to fuss with stiffness and fatigue. No, it never goes away for good, but I find that the more I run, the more my body accepts it. This results in good daily runs. And when I'm satisfied with my morning runs -- which also make me feel good the rest of the day -- then I'm a happy jogger. As a happy jogger, I now actually look forward to the morning runs instead of dreading them. These are the elements that lead to establishing a good routine or, dare I say, "habit." See how great that works? Everybody wins!

Get over the hump of a few lousy, uninspiring runs as you settle into your training rhythm. Once established, you will rely on the "set aside" time to train -- morning, afternoon or night -- and you might actually look forward to it.

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