Man Up | Running

You're tired, on the verge of being sick, some random body part aches, there's some project you should really be working on right now...

It’s time to run, and you’re thinking, ‘maybe I shouldn't this time’?

It’s easy to find a legitimate excuse—a perfectly plausible reason—the kind that could definitely get you out of P.E. class - EVERY day. They may be valid excuses . . . but they’re BULL. So from now on your job is to toss ‘em.

Early on in my endeavour to become a runner, I learned that approximately 99.99% of the time, the inclination NOT to run is a nasty trick.

I heard this while talking with a friend who describes herself as lazy, yet has been running daily for the past 14 years. We were riffing on the very idea of ‘not this time, and for this reason.’ I was surprised by her response. It solved my problem. What was it?

Just run. Whenever you’re scheduled to. NO excuses.

That packs a lot of punch.

I’ve been running for a few months now, and there’s not one time I’ve regretted hitting the dirt.

So when you hear that voice - the voice writing notes to get you out of P.E. class - remember this simple idea. Then put your gear on.

Wanna start**? Set a time, a place, and even grab a partner. When it's time, put on your gear, do up your shoes, and know that the worse things seem at the start, the better they'll be at the end.

Turns out what Nike’s been saying all along, works.

**When I told my friend I was writing this, she reminded me that the same policy applies to anything you might want to do but resist—not just running, but any hobby, activity, or sport. So charge hard, wellness warriors . . .

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Next up? Running Technique.

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Jonathan Maingot is a professional ski bum turned prospective writer and entrepreneur. When he's not banging his head against a wall at the difficulties involved in writing, he's likely on his cyclocross bike exploring his new backyard on Vedder Mountain in the Fraser Valley.