I should be committed

Today was beautiful. Like JB, I usually have a warmer rule of thumb when it comes to exercising outside. But when it's 36 in February, sunny and no wind, you can't not go out and run (although me and my indecisive selves did take our sweet time deciding to actually do it - thank goodness it was still warm when I finally did go).

I did find some great things about running in the cold:

• Less people on the bike trail (only 15 I encountered today)
• Less goose shit to avoid (not that there wasn't some, it was just way less than it usually is in, say, August)
• I started chilly but ended comfortably warm
  
• The gloves from TC last October that didn't get any use that day since it was god-awful hot came in quite handy today...seriously - great gloves to wear when running
• I got to use my iPod shuffle and it actually did help keep me motivated, not that I want to rely on that very often since most marathons don't let you use them
• I really want a puppy to run with me, but that'll take a whole change of address and actually getting a dog which would be a huge step in itself
  
• The fresh winter air is great for my lungs, though they do hurt a little right now - cold air and I don't usually go together well.
• Endurox and warm showers after the run - yay for warm showers!
  
• It does provide me a good time to think

Running today really made me think about commitment. You have to be committed when you go run...at least I do. I live on one side of the river that runs through our town. The bike trail is on both sides and occasionally you can cross on a bridge. But the trick is, once you cross and head out on that side you are committed to that run - you can turn around and go back to recross if you want, but then you're just doubling back and making your run longer. So you really have to be committed when you choose a path. Not all bike trails are like this but there are a lot of places on mine where this is the case - you pick one side or the other and you go.

Plus if you head out and run a mile or whatever, that's great, but you have to remember that you have to run back. That's such a big commitment in running - you can run a mile or 2 or 12, that's great, but you always have to come back (unless you're sneaky and hail a cab or something - believe me, I've thought about it sometimes).

But it's like running a marathon. Barring injury or illness, you start out running and you keep going until you've crossed that finish line - no matter how long it takes. You can run it all or walk part or walk it all - but you've made a commitment and completed it - holding up your end of the bargain you've made (generally with yourself). And if you can't keep your end of a bargain with yourself, how can you expect to keep one with anyone else?

Hopefully this will keep me motivated for awhile to keep running and keep my commitments I have with myself. I need to re-evaluate my goals: lose weight, start strength training, run every day, run and complete Brookings and eventually TC again. For now though, I'm going to go shower...I need to warm up.