The mental gymnastics of convincing yourself to run vs actually running

I am running for over 40 years and that never changes. Getting to the doorstep is always the hardest.

But there are days when it's really cold and/or ice where it's probably a smart idea not to run.

Mine is “I will just run later today.” Later never shows up. Morning me lies to night me every time.

Rule No.1 - do not question why you run, just run.

If you think about it too much, you will realise that running is a silly futile pursuit, and the whole god damn illusion you've constructed for yourself will come tumbling down.

So just run. Don't think, because then you will think of excuses not to.

This is the brilliance of the Nike slogan "just do it". It encapsulates and resolves all of the pre-run mental gymnastics that happen. Truth is it is easier to sit on the couch, but we all know there is a reward somewhere in there.

I can't run consistently in the morning, given what time I need to leave my house for work. It would mean running most of the year in the dark, and in Seattle, the weather is better later in the day most of the year. I just don't have that kind of willpower.

However, I decided a long time ago to make certain decision for QOL, and one of those was working remotely, even though I do think it limits my career growth. That means I can run at lunch. Even when I worked in the office, I'd often duck out for a midday or afternoon run.

But it's still hard. I have a tendency to allow myself to take too much time off when sick or slightly injured (happens more often as I've gotten older) and I'm not good about running while travelling, which I do fairly often also.

WTF is this one: "What if I need to pee mid-run"? You just stop, optionally pause your watch, and pee. If you are doing any sort of tempo or intervals, you should hold it for a moment so that it doesn't mess with the purpose of your workout.

Now pooping mid-run, that might be a problem depending on where you run. When at home, I always take a few pieces of TP with me when I go running and occasionally I need to use it in not-so-appropriate places. When I was in a training camp in Kenya, that was worse. No matter where you run, there will always be people around, and every spot of land is someone's corn or passionfruit patch. I had to wake up real early so that I definitely get that bowel movement before setting out.

As for excuses, when my coach writes me a rest day, I have to really try hard not to run at least a 40 minute easy jog, so I have the opposite problem. When I'm told to rest and it's icy outside, it helps me to actually rest!

You get to run, you don’t have to run. It’s a privilege. Running is the GOAT and why anyone would need extra motivation to get out there is beyond me :)

Get this reddit out of here

https://old.reddit.com/r/running/comments/1qo0vmv/the_mental_gymnastics_of_convincing_yourself_to/

Having a running streak helps. Mine is going on 5 years, which means I never question whether to run or not ... I just know I will. On days when I'm sick and/or injured, that "run" may be more of a shuffle with walking breaks. But even if it's 15 minute mile pace, I still get out there with my running shoes on. And while my weekly mileage is usually somewhere between 20 and 40 depending on where I am in a training cycle, continuing the streak only requires one measly little mile. So I can have a lazy day when I need it, but still feel good about it because it's always a day that the streak continues, no matter how fast or far I run (so long as I get that mile, which is pretty easy when you've been running as long as I have).

Another option is to lie to yourself and pretend that you're only going to run a minute or so, or tell yourself that you can always stop and come back if you need to. That makes it all seem so easy. Of course, once you then get out there, the mental hurdle is overcome and you will likely find yourself tackling the workout that may have intimidated you.

Finally, treat bad weather as a fun adventure. I've run in blizzards, heat, and even the very early hours of a hurricane. It's a rush! The only thing that really bothers me and isn't fun for running is (1) lightning and (2) wildfire smoke.

Sometimes the run itself is the hardest part, like in the northeast soon after this weekend’s snowstorm because significant portions of walkways hadn’t been cleared and the slushy roads were not runnable because there was just enough room for vehicles.

Running is not a silly futile pursuit and it’s great for fitness and emotional/mental well-being. Have found a form of exercise that isn’t a silly futile pursuit or are you just getting fat?

I used to have this issue before I had real life responsibilities. Now I have a full time job, and am married with 2 kids. I have a rapidly closing window of time to get my run in each day. Because I have zero opportunity to think about it, I just do it. And I still get 60-70 miles in a week.

So its currently hard to relate to OP but I definitely used to be in that position.

I think that if your posts have been removed due to their harassing nature over a thousand times on a site, you shouldn't have any say in the site's slogan. Thats just my humble opinion.

I have the opposite problem; I have to force myself to take days off otherwise I will overtrain and get injured.

Could you do 3 miles three times a week before work? I know it's only 9 miles, but the head start from a morning run on metabolism is great. And, when the week is ending, and you look at your mileage and where you want to be, 9 or 10 miles, can help.