This year I have been focusing mostly on longer type runs. My shorter runs are usually 5-6 miles with long runs of 13 miles at least once a month, since last October. Yesterday the plan was to run 10 miles. I didn’t get there. I didn’t feel right the whole run and ended it with only 8 miles. It never feels good for me to end short of my goal.

Today I knew I wasn’t going to have time for a very long run as I had a busy day ahead of me. So that was already weighing in the unmotivated to run side of the scale. Not to mention if I had to run I had to be out the door relatively early. No later than 8 AM. More weight to the just don’t run side of the scale. Upon waking up I checked my phone and it was confirmed that the temperature for this morning was 20 degrees. Even more weight to the side of the scale killing any desire to run.

As I got up this morning I was getting things done and literally telling myself, ” I am going to run today”. Once I had my morning chores done I started to think about what to do next. The answer was “I am going to run”. That is what I kept telling myself. I started to think about what I needed to wear and got out my cloths and dressed to run. As I was getting ready, I knew I still didn’t really feel like running and didn’t want to go out in the cold.

I told myself I would just do a short run. I would run my standard 5k distance route that I know well right outside my house. No thinking no more decisions to make. Just to get out and run. Often when I don’t really feel like running I just go for an easy slow paced run just to get some miles. I knew it was going to be cold, so I told myself I will just run hard. If I run hard I will warm up faster and stay warm longer no matter what the weather brings. And the weather sure brought it. It was cold and windy.

Also I didn’t take any tech with me other than my watch. No phone, no camera, no music. Anyone who has run with me much knows that is a huge deal. I went out to just run by feel and make the best of this run. I checked my watch at the very beginning just to assure myself that I was running a decent pace to start. Then I check it again when it buzzed at mile three.

At mile 3 I was very happy and surprised to see that I was at a much faster pace than I expected and I knew I had to push myself for those last .11 miles and maybe I would just do it. Do what? Reach one of my personal goals.

So, what exactly can happen when you go out and run? You can run one of your best runs and reach your personal goals. I have had a goal for a while know that I want to run a 5k at a sub 9 minute pace. Guess what? Today on this day I didn’t even want to run, I achieved that goal. I ran an 8:55 min/mile pace. I got out and ran. I put in that effort when I didn’t even really want to and I made it happen.This is what you can do when you do the things that you don’t really want to do. You reach your goals.

It’s all about being there and putting in the effort. Just show up, just run. It won’t always be pretty and you won’t always feel like it, but you will be able to achieve more than you ever thought you could as long as you show up.