Getting out the door is the hardest part

Now that I've joined the ranks of the 9-to-5ers, I'm finding myself with much less free time (duh, Kaitlin!). Obviously, working a full time job and running 80 miles a week do not exactly translate into lots of downtime... (maybe it's time to cancel my Netflix subscription). But when I come home from work, I'm so beat that all I want to do is sit in front of my computer and watch online TV. Call me lazy, call me boring, but I often don't have the energy for anything else! So, with a busier schedule and less recovery, I've found it increasingly hard to get out the door for my evening runs.

On the couch blogging when I should be running...

We've all been there... sometimes, it's just REALLY hard to get out the door. Even though I know it's good for me, both physically and mentally, it can be super hard to leave my warm cozy apartment to go run in the wind and fog that define San Francisco summers. Memory-foam mattress and Netflix, how you tempt me! You might think that as an elite runner, I never have trouble getting out the door to train. Ah, but you are wrong! The "I don't want to go running" syndrome affects runners of all speeds, and I'm no exception :)

A foggy summer day in the city

Getting out the door is the hardest part. Once you've taken those first few steps, it's easy... then enjoyable... and before you know it you've logged a mile more than you needed to run! So right now, when I'm exhausted from work and the miles I logged this morning, I'm reminding myself that I do love doing this. That it's good for me, important for my training. That I never come back from a run regretting it - that when I'm out on the trails, I'm always thankful for the precious alone time, just me and my thoughts. With less free time than ever, these solo runs have become my thinking/pondering/relaxing/dreaming time.

These coming months will be a challenge for me as I adjust to my work responsibilities and continue to train at a high level, so I'll be reminding myself of a fact that I know will always be true: running brings me joy.

As I head out the door now for run #2, let me share some pics with you from a recent run - it was tough to leave my warm bed for San Francisco's misty fog, but as you can see from the photos, it was well worth it :)

Good luck getting out the door on your next run - just lace up those shoes and take the first steps. Once you're out there, you won't regret it!