December 8, 2024
Half Marathon, 10K & 5K Races

I don’t feel like running today

I don’t feel like running today
I got up this morning feeling totally unmotivated to run.  Every ache and pain was screaming at me.  Without lights on I stumbled around the bed shuffling out to the kitchen for a drink of water.  I really didn’t feel like running!  Despite that, I decided to get dressed hoping that in the act of getting into my running gear would snap me out of my stupor.
10 minutes later there I was fully dressed in my running gear standing inside the front door hand on the door knob with this thought flooding through my head. “I really don’t feel like running today!
I wasn’t injured so I couldn’t use that as an excuse.  I’d been through these dips before so dug into my bag of tricks to get up the motivation to head out:
  • First though:  If you have a physical injury, best to give up on the run.  There is rarely an injury that you can ‘run through’.  Best to recover fully before risking further injury by running.
  • Quick check on the distractions:  Yes work had been busy, the late night the evening before meant I hadn’t gotten enough sleep, I had a bit too much alcohol.  Once through this mental checklist, I knew I’d have to adjust my pace and maybe even distance.
  • What if I just went out for a fast walk instead?  Yes it might affect my training but a fast walk was better than no physical activity at all.
Not injured, distracted yes…the walk seemed like a good alternative.  In previous dips, I’ve changed it up completely and headed to the local pool for an hour of swimming laps.  While not my favourite activity, swimming is a really good aerobic exercise that works both upper and lower body.  
 
Some of my running friends head inside to the gym to a stationary bike or elliptical trainer.  Again, great alternatives that have the added benefit of using different muscle groups.
Yes, there are good alternatives for those days when you don’t feel like running.  Just don’t take the easy way out and head back to bed.
 
Until next time…
Reggae Marathon RunninGuy
instagram
facebook
twitter
youtube