A friend of mine made a comment today that she felt like running had been on her mind constantly and that a lot of her conversations had been about running lately. This coming from a friend who decided to do her own "Couch to 10 miles" program not 3 months ago! I'm proud of my friend for taking the plunge and deciding to train and run in the upcoming 10-miler race. It is quite an ambitious feat. But is it necessary for running to take up so much thinking space?
For people like my friend and I, running isn't easy, and yes, it does take up a lot of thinking space. It takes mental preparation and follow through to keep it up and be consistent. Running or exercise for that matter has to be on your mind in order for it to become a habitual action. And for those of us who are trying to make it a steady part of our lives, it takes thinking and talking about it a lot. It's important to hold yourself accountable and to have friends to hold accountable. And really, if I weren't thinking and planning my runs throughout the week, I'd be putting my focus on something else.
This little conversation brought about the thought that running really isn't some phase I'm going through. It's not like all the other exercise regimens I've done in the past like intramural volleyball, kick-boxing, weightlifting, dance aerobics, body pump, JILLIAN MICHAELS (oh, Jillian how I've neglected you!). I think running has finally become a habitual action and without it I'm not sure I could function in a positive way.
