The Origin of #Noexcuses

I started running in late September of 2012. I hadn't run a mile since the 9th grade fitness test and I wasn't the last runner across the finish line but I was in the back of the pack for sure.

The reason for the sudden interest in running was that I met two wonderful ladies when I moved to Denver, Shayna and Ally, and they invited me to join them in a triathlon in August of 2013. I had been biking, I considered myself a good swimmer and I thought "hey how hard can running be".

Good night and cheese and crackers is running hard. It is my weakest of the three events and I have been working on it every week since September last year. I have slowly taken my mile time from 14 minutes to 10:55 but I still struggle every time I have to do a run workout.

I was scheduled to do a run workout January 12th of this year and I didn't yet have a gym membership to use a treadmill. For those who don't live in Denver, January can range from the 70's to the negatives in temperature range. This day was in the negatives all morning, I had gotten dressed in my running clothes and I was waiting for it to reach 10 degrees Fahrenheit before I would even consider opening the door.

I told my husband that I was waiting on it to warm up to 10 to go out and run and he jokingly said "No excuses babe." He meant it as a joke, he meant that it was way too cold and that only a crazy person would go run in that weather, he meant it to let me off the hook and to make me feel better.

For some reason it made me angry,  blood boiling angry. How dare he try and let me off the hook was my first thought followed closely by well damn it is an excuse and then what IS the difference really in 3 and 10 degrees, a measly 7 degrees, cold is cold people.

I laced up my shoes and ran. My time was slow, I only went a mile and a half, my fingers hurt they were so cold but I felt amazing once I thawed. I hadn't made excuses and sat on the couch and watched t.v. I had challenged myself and won.

I realized that my life up to the point of getting really serious about my health had been a series of excuses. You know them, I am sure you have said them from time to time:
I don't have time
Eating right is expensive
I can't take time away from my kids, husband, family, cat, dog, grandma, etc
I am happy-ish with my current fitness level and weight
Just to name a few of my top excuses from time gone by.


Here is the thing, you are worth it, excuses are just excuses. The only reason to not be moving your body towards better health is injury and even then there are things you can do.
Take the time to be the best you. You deserve it.
No excuses my friends.