For me, the hardest part of any run isn’t the steepest hill, the longest climb or the last mile. It’s putting on my running gear, lacing up my shoes and leaving the house.
I have some wonderful (i.e. complete BS) excuses for delaying that moment. I tell myself …
❌ I’ll have more energy later (I won’t)
❌ I don’t want to ‘overtrain’ (as if! 🤣🤣)
❌ It won’t be raining later (it will be, I live in Devon)
❌ I need to eat first (I don’t, I run better on an empty stomach)
❌ There’s an important football/ cricket/ water polo/ tiddlywinks match on the radio that I need to listen to (I don’t, my team will lose and it will only upset me)
The list is endless. The truth is if I waited for the perfect moment I’d almost never run.
And the chances are, there won’t be a perfect moment for whatever it is you’re waiting to do either, especially if it’s big or important. You’ll always be able to find a reason not to. We tell ourselves we’ll do it next month, next quarter or next year when we’ve got more time, more experience or more money. But the chances are we’ll have the same excuses (or perhaps even better ones) by then.
Taking that first step is often the hardest, so some strategies for lacing up those shoes and getting started:
✅ Remind yourself why it’s important to you (👉 I run to be healthy for myself and my family, and I love being outdoors)
✅ Make the first step as easy as possible (👉 when it’s cold outside I find it really hard to leave a warm house so I run in leggings and a hat – I’m not proud!)
✅ Don’t worry about failing, just give it your best shot (👉 I don’t have to set a PB every time – any run is better for my fitness than no run)
On average, we live for about 4,000 weeks. Life has no ⏪ button, so each one is precious. Live your life fully and don’t wait to step into your greatness 💪 🚀
Ps. Sorry not sorry for the Arsenal beanie!