Good Will Hunting

Today was a tough one -- not the run itself (that actually felt great) but getting “motivated” for it. For whatever reason, I didn't feel like running this morning. Maybe it was the 5 a.m. wake-up call, or leaving the warmth of my bed (and my husband), or knowing the cold weather that would greet me upon leaving the house -- who knows.

Thankfully, clearer heads prevailed and I was up and out the door.

I have a “fail-safe” plan on days I don’t want to run -- an iPad. The device is awesome because I can watch a movie at the gym and literally bang out 5, 6, 7+ miles without even thinking about it. (There isn't anything worse than running and checking your mileage or time every five minutes, wishing for it to be over before you even get going.)

This morning I popped on Good Will Hunting and ran for 60 minutes. How 'bout them apples! I took the pace slow (just over a 10-minute mile), but had some fun near the end, jacking up my speed to 6.8 and then 7.5 for a little more than a half mile. I felt strong!

Giving in to an extra hour in bed and blowing off a run would have felt good at the time, but I would have regretted it the rest of the day.

The runs/work-outs you don’t want to do are the ones that matter most.

What do you do on days you can't get motivated to work-out or run? Are there times during the year when a lack of motivation is more or less? Do you have a "fail-safe" plan to get you going?