So, I went to the sporting goods store instead. I bought some thin, thermal gloves, some compression sleeves for my forearms, and some ear warmers. Then I came home and put all of that on, plus a thermal shirt and running tights that I had bought earlier but not yet tried. I was completely decked out and quite toasty warm, INSIDE the house. Then I took a deep breath, jumped outside, and went running anyway.
About a third of the way into the run, my brain started complaining about what a pain in the ass this is. It's hard; it's cold; it's too much effort to get going. Then I started thinking about that marathon in 7 months and I realized that I'm going to have to get up and do this 4 days a week at least until then. Then I started thinking about how crappy I felt before I started exercising and realized that if I want to stay fit and reap the rewards, I'm going to have to get up and do this 4 days a week for the REST OF MY LIFE. Nothing drains your motivation faster than picturing 50 years of this crap!
About that time I saw a woman up ahead running toward me. She looked great. She was moving pretty fast and didn't look like she was laboring at all. I started wondering how old she was, how fast she was going, what kind of shoes was she wearing, and where did she get all the cool athlete clothes. She looked like a pro. There I was, waddling toward her, just a beginner. I was simultaneously jealous, irritated, and spurred to keep going. As she passed me she flashed a big smile and said, "Good for you."
Hell yeah.
That is awesome. I really admire your dedication! I have determined that I am not, in fact, a runner. I got to 2.5 miles in my training program and realized that forcing myself to run was making me hate working out. I'm more of a yogi/walk the dogs type. Your running journey is really inspirational, though, and I am looking forward to hearing all about your first race!
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