Over the dozens of years that I’ve been running, it’s inevitable that, when I discuss running with someone, this comment is invariably raised “I’d love to start running” to which I invariably reply “why don’t you?”
Of course, the next comment I will hear will be an excuse of some kind. Believe me, over the years, I’ve heard them all. Here are a few of the most common.
Probably the most prevalent is “I don’t have the time”. Sorry, I don’t buy it, here’s why.
- 30 min/day = 150 min/week = 2.5 hours
- There are 168 hours in a week 2.5/168 = 1.5% of the total week
- The average American watches 5 hours of TV per week, just cut that in half and you’re good to go. See, no excuse here!
The second most prevalent is “I hear that running is bad for your knees”. Yeah, you probably heard it from a non runner, they love this one. Fact is there is no scientific proof to support this old wives tale. If it does occur it’s probably due to worn out shoes, poor posture developed over the years or even an old injury, all of which can be corrected by new shoes, corrected posture or rehab. Sorry, not buying this one either.
“I tried running but I didn’t lose any weight”. And how many years did it take you to gain that weight? 1, 2, 5, 10? It’s a marathon, not a sprint and just because you’re running now doesn’t mean you eat more.
“It’s too cold to run”. Really? When you get in your car on a cold morning do you get instant heat? No, of course not, that’s why you have a coat on! After 10 minutes the car is warmed up, same thing with running; after the first 10 minutes you’re all warmed up and don’t even notice. Nope, no excuse here.
“It’s raining”. So what, after the first 10 minutes you’re wet inside anyways from sweating. Get wet from the inside or outside, what’s the difference? Sorry, this one doesn’t work for me either.
One of my acquaintances told me recently that his doctor told him running is bad for him “because it jiggles up his insides”. Is this a doctor? Sounds more like a quack to me. Anyone that tells you running is bad for you only tells you that because they can’t think of a better excuse!
“I’m too self-conscious to go outside and run”. Are you kidding, do you really think anyone is watching you? If they are it’s probably because they are jealous and wish they had the courage and discipline to do it themselves. Go ahead, show off. Maybe next time someone will say to you “I’d love to start running”. (Then you get to hear what their excuse is).
So, if you’re talking to someone about running and you say “I’d love to start running”, please mean it. No excuses necessary. As the old Nike slogan goes “Just Do It”.
If you don’t want to run, please, please, please don’t give me an excuse, just be honest, tell me you’re too lazy and don’t have the necessary discipline to get out the door. At least that’s something I’ll believe!
