Lazy week

I knew it was a bad idea to cancel my plans to run the marathon next month. Especially this time of year I need a goal, an incentive, to participate in any activity during the week. My body's inclination when it's dark and cool is to hibernate: stuff myself with food and sleep for a couple of months. The fear of knowing I'll soon have to run for 6 hours usually will help me fight my natural inclinations.

It also doesn't help that I don't have a regular, comfortable, evening running buddy. Since I started running distances I've always had someone or several someones who I was meeting to run. I knew that my running buddy would miss out on her own run if I stayed home so I'd force myself to get out of the house. Once I got out there and after I was finished I was almost always happy that I had run. Both the exercise itself and the social contacts were important.

Now there's only the TnT buddy run on Tuesday where I don't really have anyone my speed. Attending that run means I have to stay at work a couple hours later than usual since driving home and back is a waste of time and gas (side note: gas at my corner station was down to $1.99 today! Whoohoo!). The trail we run is dark and the pavement is cracked and broken. Yes, I'm making extended excuses for not showing up.

Even if I don't leave the house there's no excuse not to be active. I have a fabulous treadmill, a comfortable recumbent exercycle, a trainer set up with my old bicycle, free weights of all sizes and shapes, a weight bench in the garage and a bazillion aerobics tapes. My exercise room has a television hooked up to cable, a vcr (yes, I still use it) and a dvd player. There's a lovely view of my backyard out the window and the room can be cooled or heated as necessary.

I haven't gained back any of the weight I lost this summer but if I stay on the couch napping and knitting it's only a matter of time. Must ... be ... active ... this ... winter ...

No excuses. Get up, get out, do something.