“What we fear comes to pass more speedily than what we hope.” —- Publilius Syrus – Moral Sayings (1st C B.C.)
I had a great run on Sunday – I was able to increase my speed, I felt strong, my legs felt good. It was one of those days that I felt on top. That was Week 1 – when I had to run five 3-minute intervals. Now I’m moving onto Week 2 – when I am slated to run five 4-minute intervals.
Yet, I haven’t run since then. I kept making excuses – “I just ran yesterday”, “today’s a rest day”, “I’ll do it tomorrow”, “I’m so tired”.
What is going on?
It struck me this morning that I’m scared. I’m scared of increasing my run time. I know I’ve done this before – I’ve run for a lot longer than 4 minutes at a time in the past. But for some reason, it’s toying with my head. It’s making me doubt my body, my resolve and my ability.
And I’m letting the fear win by not going to the gym and beating the hell out of the treadmill!
So I have two choices:
1. Continue to make excuses and not go.
2. Face my fears and go for a run today.
The ONLY option I have is to go for a run. Because otherwise fear wins and I never get ahead of it. One of my favorite things about running has been the mental challenge – facing my fears and my doubts and overcoming them. This is just one of those opportunities for me to prove myself the winner!
Healthy Nurse Karen 