I used to be....

[Aggie_Ama]

I used to tell everyone I was a runner who cycled. Then I was a cyclist who cross trained by running. Lately, I am an overweight version of the woman I used to be. In August in retreated to the luxury of air conditioning. In September I patiently waited for my DH to recover from a hospital stay and used it as an excuse to do nothing. Now it is October, I can barely fit my clothes and I have had enough.

Tonight I will go on my first run in over a week. The past few weeks I have ran about once a week. How do we let ourselves fall in these ruts? Tonight I will start easy with a 20 minute run. I am breaking out- wish me luck!!

[roshelleuop]

Aggia Ama,

It only takes one 30 minute run or one 30 minute bike to get back into it. You are planning to run 30 minutes tonight, that is the first step!!! That is awesome!!!! Way to go!!!!

Just remember to not push it too hard too fast, becuase you may not be able to enjoy it. Slowly get into it and you'll be back to your old self in no time!!!!!

Roshelle from Milwaukee

[chickwhorips]

all that matters is your getting back out there. you can't change the past, only work on the future. if i could change the past i would take back a lot of the cr@p i've eaten in the past month and with working on feild work i haven't been working out as much. i'm feeling very blah! i'm trying to get back on the wagon with you. i support you 100%!

[cherinyc]

Right there with you and supporting you. Ruts are yucky!!!! and I think there is some kind of depression that sets in (maybe withdrawel from the working out endorphins) when you take too much time off.
Just do a little, and when those endorphins kick in again you will be back on track.
HUGS!!

[Lise]

I'm well familiar with the rut! But you've already taken action to get out of it, so you're well on your way. I find it helps to lay out my running clothes the night before and tell myself that I'm going to put them on the minute I get up. If I do that, I'm much more likely to go out the door than to talk myself out it again. Good luck, keep us posted. I, too, will be doing a lot more running than riding as the weather gets cold, so I'll need my own reminders!

[Aggie_Ama]

See I knew I would find the support here! And I knew if I put it on TE I would feel like I had to do it. Off to start being me again.

[colby]

Great job, ladies. Sometimes you just have to imagine your TE peloton is there with you... we're your virtual cheerleader!

[Bikingmomof3]

Amanda somehow I missed this thread. You are doing great! And you are not alone in working out. You can and will do it, we all will.

[Dogmama]

Don't listen to your head. There is a lazy fat person in there saying, "Hey, you can do this tomorrow. You had a hard day. Sit down, take it easy, you deserve it. Here, have some ice cream. You can work it off tomorrow."

Or- in my case as a morning exerciser - that person tells me - "Hey, you can go after work tonight. The gym will be mysteriously empty/the streets will be vacant and the sun won't be shining at that horrendous angle. You'll be invigorated after working nine hours straight and ready to hit it hard!"

I envision that person on my shoulder. I tell her to go back into her cave.

[Aggie_Ama]

Don't listen to your head.

I envision that person on my shoulder. I tell her to go back into her cave.

That is great advice, until the voice in my head becomes my cheerleader! Lately I have had a great cheerleader on my shoulder. Sunday night she urged me to keep running even though it was humid and I felt every painful step. Last night she encouraged me to charge up a hill that is always my nemesis. I like her this week!

I felt myself slacking again towards the end of last week. I shoke it off Saturday and got back out there.

Sat- 15 mile ride
Sun- 20 minute run (oh it was awful)
Mon- 18 mile ride and I kicked the above hill's butt!! The hill isn't that big, it is just long and gradual. I often find my speed dropping from 16 mph to 9 mph on the hill. Last night I was able to keep my speed heading over the hill around 14 mph. I won last night.
Today- Rest
Tomorrow- 20-25 min run (I am committing myself to it in front of all TE)

I am back on WW to counter the weight and back in the right mind to conquer the activity. It is still hard and I have a lot of work to do before the Turkey Trot, but now I am determined.

[chickwhorips]

Tomorrow- 20-25 min run (I am committing myself to it in front of all TE)

and we will be waiting here for the report.