I have come to realize today that I am a little like Jan on the Brady Bunch. Except instead of complaining, "Marsha, Marsha, Marsha," it would be...
Jan was making excuses and blaming Marsha. I do the same thing, except I blame...well, anything that will work in that situation.
Today I was supposed to run 8 miles. After a hectic week of work (excuse), being woke up at 6 am by my husband itching his ear--yes, the bed moved so much it woke me up (excuse), a house full of boys angry at each other for I don't know why (excuse), a pending 2 day snowstorm (excuse), several loads of laundry to get done (excuse), and food to prep for the week (excuse) I did not get out and run.
My running friends I usually go with did. At 9am. When it was 8 degrees outside.
I did not. I came up with every excuse I could think of--which at the time, seemed like a legitimate reason why I could not put on my shoes and get out there.
Yes, I know that it was at least an hour and a half that I would be by myself, with my music on, and just let it all out. It is what I always ask for. Time by myself. Not worrying about this or that. Just me, myself, and I.
One of the things I do love about exercise.
But I didn't want to run on the road (excuse). It was really cold (excuse). And, I'd rather run in the woods, but there was several inches of snow, so that wasn't really an option (excuse).
Today was nothing but an excuse-fest.
Now, I truly did have a lot to do today (like laundry, meal prep, helping B with some Cub Scout stuff, and J with getting logged into the virtual train show). I really should go to the grocery store. And there is a Winter Storm coming tomorrow (as of now, the forecast is for it to snow for 2 days, with about a foot or more accumulation). In fact, they already cancelled school for tomorrow...something that rarely happens in our town.
But if I really wanted it bad enough, there should be no excuses.
Ok, maybe a couple but, no one died or had to go to the hospital, and the house wasn't burning down, so really, I had no excuses.
Why do I always come up with excuses? This is a question I have been trying to solve for years!!!
In high school, I would always avoid having to swim the 2 x 500 yard freestyles in the middle of practice. I would sense when they were coming, and I'd hop out of the pool, claiming I had to use the restroom. I would get back just in time to start the next set, and avoid those 1000 yards.
Of course now, I do 500 yards all the time...often times more, because I lose count of the laps.
The point is, I've always tried to figure out a way to avoid the hard stuff.
And this even goes for other things...like "confrontations".
I don't like it when people argue with each other, and I will go out of my way to make it stop.
Whether it is agreeing to do something I don't want to do, or taking the blame. In fact, I have even agreed with friends about things I strongly disagree with just to get avoid the conflict.
Just make it stop.
Although, even that is an excuse.
So now, here I am at the end of week 3 of training. Basically I missed all of week 3. No strength training, no running. I did ride my bike once.
Tomorrow is a new day, a new week. Hell, it is even a new month.
One thing I have learned over the past several years with this triathlon thing, is that there is always tomorrow.
That is not an excuse, or even forgiveness for the excuses. But it is permission to not beat up myself, and to get going again.
So tomorrow, as the snow starts to fall, I will get up and go for a run. It will most likely not be 8 miles, but I'll take 3-4. It will be at least a step in the right direction. A positive step.
And I do like running in the snow...
Sounds like a better start already.