Still Need to Run More, Stupid

     Run more, stupid. 

     This has become one of my mental notes that I try to remember when I go to the gym. Some days, the running isn't fun for me. Some days my legs hurt, or they won't loosen up, or I would just rather do something else. I keep telling myself that I set a goal for myself to complete 500 miles in the course of 2019 and I want to accomplish it. 

     Run more, stupid. 

     Yesterday I was on the treadmill and I started to realize a couple of things. First, my leg hurts. For some reason, my left thigh area is just sore. It feels like my leg needs to pop, but it just won't. I've tried stretching it out and running it out and I finally gave in and took ibuprofen. We'll see what happens next. Second, I realized that my pace on a treadmill is normally slower than my pace on the road. For some reason, I feel winded when I run road pace on a treadmill. I don't know if I get inside my own head; I'm focused on people around me and how boring it is to run in a stationary position for more than 5 minutes.

     So how do I get over these humps, these aches, pains, and doldrums? I just keep telling myself to run more, stupid. This is probably the first time that I have maintained a New Year's Resolution into the month of March. I'm behind on my goal for the year, but with the weather getting ready to break for spring, I feel that I can log some really good OTR miles. 

     If I'm going to find balance in my life, part of what I'll have to do is keep up with my goals. Thanks to my changing views on fitness, I'm not worried so much about my weight as I am about my mileage. I would rather accomplish my mileage goal than my weight goal because those miles are what I'm most hungry for. 

     Don't stop fighting for your accomplishments even when it gets hard. Work through the pains, the boredom, and the scheduling conflicts. If you fall behind on your goal, don't give up. Failure is a growth opportunity, not a death sentence. Growth can be slow and painful, but it is growth and that should be the ultimate goal. Follow up with yourself, hold yourself accountable, team up with someone, do what it takes to be successful. Focus on your health and not a number. Focus on your mentality instead of your material success. Make it a point to grow as an individual, everyday.