Hello Dear Reader,
I've really been working hard to not only strengthen my commitment to running, but my relationship with God as well. As I was sitting in church on Ash Wednesday, contemplating what I was going to give up for Lent, the usual suspects floated through my mind: fried foods (although I don't eat much of this) and soda. For a moment, I felt confident in my decision. Soon there after, guilt crept in. Reality says that I don't really eat many fried foods, nor do I consume much soda, so this was no real sacrifice. Definitely, it was not a sacrifice comprable to the one made by the man I want to honor. He paid the ultimate sacrifice and here I am trying to cheat him, the meaning of this whole season, and myself by giving up something that is easily done. I might as well say I'm giving up my addiction to watching "Keeping up with the Kardashians". The thing is that I just don't do it.
Sitting on the church pew, straining to understand the thick accent of the Sesotho-speaking priest, one thing kept pushing towards the forefront of my mind: RUNNING. Yes, running is something that I've done before in a habit forming way. I can easily pick up and run 13 miles and not feel any pain or strain afterwards. The real problem is the times between those random 13 mile runs. I've found myself making every excuse in the book to not get up when my alarm goes off and go running. When it's really time to get up for work, I feel even more lame, because I've just laid in the bed for about 2.5 hours doing nothing when I could have gotten up and done something that makes me feel good, productive and fit. Unfortunately, for far too long, I've let my normally lazy, couch potato nature take over. Boo!
Last weekend, I was Skyping (don't you love how I made that a verb!!!) with one of my very good friends, and brought up that I've been seeking sources of motivation to drown out the lazy voice from within that makes one excuse after the next for why it's ok to lay in bed and not run. I asked how he stays so motivated to do what he does on a regular basis. He noted that there are plenty of times when he feels as if NOT doing something he needs to do is ok. When he feels that lazy voice inside of him trying to make an excuse for not being productive, that serves as an internal alarm to push himself to do exactly what he doesn't feel like doing, but knows he needs to do. That totally made sense to me. When I feel myself making excuses, I need to use that lazy voice as a catalyst to make me be better and work harder.
My friend's advice helped me to confirm my Lenten sacrifice: I will give up excuses and being lazy for Lent. This will be a true challenge for me, because I've been lazy for a long time. My running habit has been overrun with excuses. After the conversation with my friend, I got up and ran, and have been running ever since. "They" say that it takes 21 days or so to develop a habit (although this has not been proven)...and there are 36 more days of Lent. Hopefully, on the other side of Lent (i.e. Easter), I'll be free of excuses to not run. To hold myself accountable (I'm going to need your help, Dear Reader), I plan to regularly post my progress on this little running blog o'mine!
Raise your glasses of water, ya'll! Here's to kicking bad habits and re-establishing good ones!
Until next time...one foot in front of the other (Dani)...keep it movin' (Dani)!
Yours in (good habit forming) training,
Dani
I've really been working hard to not only strengthen my commitment to running, but my relationship with God as well. As I was sitting in church on Ash Wednesday, contemplating what I was going to give up for Lent, the usual suspects floated through my mind: fried foods (although I don't eat much of this) and soda. For a moment, I felt confident in my decision. Soon there after, guilt crept in. Reality says that I don't really eat many fried foods, nor do I consume much soda, so this was no real sacrifice. Definitely, it was not a sacrifice comprable to the one made by the man I want to honor. He paid the ultimate sacrifice and here I am trying to cheat him, the meaning of this whole season, and myself by giving up something that is easily done. I might as well say I'm giving up my addiction to watching "Keeping up with the Kardashians". The thing is that I just don't do it.
Sitting on the church pew, straining to understand the thick accent of the Sesotho-speaking priest, one thing kept pushing towards the forefront of my mind: RUNNING. Yes, running is something that I've done before in a habit forming way. I can easily pick up and run 13 miles and not feel any pain or strain afterwards. The real problem is the times between those random 13 mile runs. I've found myself making every excuse in the book to not get up when my alarm goes off and go running. When it's really time to get up for work, I feel even more lame, because I've just laid in the bed for about 2.5 hours doing nothing when I could have gotten up and done something that makes me feel good, productive and fit. Unfortunately, for far too long, I've let my normally lazy, couch potato nature take over. Boo!
Last weekend, I was Skyping (don't you love how I made that a verb!!!) with one of my very good friends, and brought up that I've been seeking sources of motivation to drown out the lazy voice from within that makes one excuse after the next for why it's ok to lay in bed and not run. I asked how he stays so motivated to do what he does on a regular basis. He noted that there are plenty of times when he feels as if NOT doing something he needs to do is ok. When he feels that lazy voice inside of him trying to make an excuse for not being productive, that serves as an internal alarm to push himself to do exactly what he doesn't feel like doing, but knows he needs to do. That totally made sense to me. When I feel myself making excuses, I need to use that lazy voice as a catalyst to make me be better and work harder.
My friend's advice helped me to confirm my Lenten sacrifice: I will give up excuses and being lazy for Lent. This will be a true challenge for me, because I've been lazy for a long time. My running habit has been overrun with excuses. After the conversation with my friend, I got up and ran, and have been running ever since. "They" say that it takes 21 days or so to develop a habit (although this has not been proven)...and there are 36 more days of Lent. Hopefully, on the other side of Lent (i.e. Easter), I'll be free of excuses to not run. To hold myself accountable (I'm going to need your help, Dear Reader), I plan to regularly post my progress on this little running blog o'mine!
Raise your glasses of water, ya'll! Here's to kicking bad habits and re-establishing good ones!
Until next time...one foot in front of the other (Dani)...keep it movin' (Dani)!
Yours in (good habit forming) training,
Dani
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