It's Hard. We Know.

The last time I wrote about motivation was back in July when I was a mere 10 days away from our wedding. That's usually one of the biggest motivating factors for women to get into shape. Shape magazine doesn't have a Bride section for the heck of it. Bridal magazines don't come up with the catchy "Bridal Bootcamp" for nothing. Not only did I have my wedding to get into shape for but I was also post-10k and still working my way towards being in shape for a 14k that I was running mid-September. With all of that I was finding it easy to stay in shape and get to the gym, but obviously running into a few hiccups along the way. Hence the "motivation" post.

Now it's January. It's cold, windy, I have two jobs to think about, books I want to read, layers I want to wear underneath a cozy lamb blanket, and a fuzzy, little kitten to snuggle up with. Matt has gotten into the habit of (what he calls) meditating every afternoon. Napping. And I find myself wanting to nap too. All the while knowing that I just need to get my butt into gear and get outside for the measly 30 minutes it takes to accomplish today's task on this week's bit of training.

I set a goal this year to run a half marathon. Right now I'm planning to run one in early May. I know that's still a full three months (and then some) away but I knew that I would find reasons not to run while it was cold; so I started early. Start the work sooner so then it will become a habit rather than a hurdle. That's the thing, isn't it? You have to make working out something you do, not something you try to do. Eating right becomes easy because that's what you have available for you instead of something you're always searching for.

While running is not my most favorite thing in the world, I know that it's good for me, and I've given myself goals along the way to make it easier. What has become something that I love doing is yoga. So much so that I'm religiously checking a website of a studio at home for their summer teacher training schedule. No matter if I do 10 minutes a day or an hour, I'm happy with yoga. Running doesn't make me happy in the moment. It makes me proud when I'm finished. It makes me feel accomplished and strong at the end. I have to push myself. They say "The hardest step for a runner is the first one out the door" and oh, heavens, is that true! You know what they don't say? After you're finished with something that you know to be hard, that you dread but should do anyway, you're better for it. You're stronger and more capable than you know. Make it happen.

{Pinterest}

Now, if you still feel like you can't do it here's the thing: I'll lend you my husband for a week and let you put up with watching him go to gym, go to practice, play a game, lose weight, build muscle, and ask you what you did today? Believe-you-me, you'll want to hit the gym even just for 30 minutes!