Sharing a challenge: falling off the rails
I have so fallen off the rails in terms of training for the half-marathon. Last week I ran twice. This week? Not at all.
This is NOT going to get me across the finish line in anything close to my under three hours goal. Heck, it might not get me across the finish line at all!
So, what happened?
Life happened. At least that is my story and I am sticking to it.
I was nipping off to the gym when I got a spare hour during the day at work. No spare hours. No spare minutes. Finding time to go the bathroom is a challenge!
“Well, that’s all fine and well, Eliza,” you chide, “but you could run when you get home.”
I could, except it turned bitterly cold. I mean sub-zero artic winds. And rain. Lots of rain. And did I mention the sub-zero artic winds?
“Excuses, excuses,” you mutter. And you would be absolutely right.
I could insist that I take the lunch hour that is due to me, and force my management to acknowlege that my workload is unrealistic. Or, I could stay after work and go to the gym then. Or, I could go home, bundle up in layers and ear muffs and mitts and scarves and mukluks … okay, it’s not that cold.
The truth of the matter is, I just haven’t given myself the kick in the pants I need to run. Which is ridiculous because I was just starting to feel that mind and body connection I was looking for. It’s like I got a taste of what I want and then I deliberately backed away from holding onto my reward.
My goodness, this is going to require some self-analysis!
In the meantime, people around me are being very interested and supportive. As mentioned in my introductory post to this series, I have my training schedule on display outside my office cube. The other day, a co-worker stopped and questioned what the calendar and pink smiley faces were all about. After I explained what I was training for, he shared that he was working up to walking 9 kilometers (5.5 miles) home each day.
He was pleased to share that he was up to 6 kilometers. I was a bit confused at what happened at the 6 kilometer mark, since he was still 3 kilometers short of home. Did he sit down and wait for morning and then walk back to work? Actually, no, he hops a bus for the rest of the way. But seriously, kudos to him.
Then there is the daily email exchange between my brother, daughter, and a good friend of mine. We have committed to a daily fitness report, since we are all trying to achieve fitness goals. My brother is running the same half-marathon as me. Another family member lost 20 lbs and is now getting into Cruise shape. My good friend is running and doing weights so he can continue to eat chocolate chip cookies, which I think is a noble fitness goal.
Tomorrow, I am making a copy of my training schedule to bring home. If I don’t get in a run at work, then I will do the run as soon as I get home. I shall laugh in the face of sub-zero artic winds! Okay, I’ll grit my teeth in the face of sub-zero artic winds, but I will run.
I too want to eat chocolate chip cookies!
Oh wait, no, that’s my friend’s motivator.
My mind and body shall be as one!
As yes, that motivator belongs to me.
Look out finish line. Here I come!
Other posts in this series:
Sharing a challenge
Motivation
Getting the right fuel for the job
Don’t miss out!
To make sure you don’t miss out on any of the topics and discussions, subscribe by RSS or Email
Hi Eliza – Now that the weather is warming, I know you’ll get back on track. I’ve been amazed at how much time it took to make the gym a daily habit that I didn’t want to miss, and how quickly I can derail from that. But life does happen and we need to give ourselves permission to acknowledge that and dust off again in pursuit of our objectives.
Hi Eliza,
I found the Gabriel method interesting when it comes to how a certain survival mechanism makes you keep or take off weight by taking over your energy and motivation. It seems crazy on the surface, but I’ve found myself more and more convinced. There’s a point in my fitness where I’m at the YES!-I’m-on-my-way! stage, but then a brick wall hits me. This has happened too many times to just be coincidence or just a toxin release.
@Betsy – I know it’s all about getting to the point where I don’t want to miss a run. I’ve been there before. But, I found Lori’s comment interesting. Will pursue that line of though in my response to her
@Lori – I have never heard of the Gabriel method, so of course I dashed off to Mr. Google. I think I was able to glean enough on the concept to make it my next Sharing A Challenge post. Stay tuned!
Will do!
I would like to qualify that I did not lose a bunch of weight to go on a cruise…that I had already started the process as being in shape is a healthy endeavour, and weight loss occurred naturally through healthy eating, strength training, and cardio exercise.
@Other Family Member – very true; excellent qualifier. Out of the four of us Fitness Report crew, you are then most consistent in making very real and long lasting healthy lifestyle changes. And to be fair to my friend, I am pretty sure he runs and does weights for more reasons than being able to consume chocolate chip cookies. At least I am pretty sure … almost positive … um, but then again ….