A word about quitting and starting.

I’m really good at quitting. I have started and stopped dozens of different fitness programs. I’m good at using every single excuse: I have no time, it’s too hot out, it’s too cold, it might rain, I didn’t sleep well, I’m too tired, I’m hungry, I just ate and, more recently, my body hurts. 

But here’s the thing, there’s always going to be a reason not to exercise, but I always feel better after I do. It’s just hard to remember sometimes when I need to motivate myself to started.

The thing about being a good quitter is that it means I’m also a good starter, too. 

I started running for the very first time exactly 6 years ago. I used a couch to 5k program which taught me how to run and slowly got my body and my lungs used to it. Then I fell in love and kept going, eventually running a half marathon. Then I quit. I hurt my knee. I need physical therapy. I basically broke up with running and started dating yoga. My relationship with yoga got more and more serious and running was basically dead to me. 

Sometimes when I fall in love with one thing I put all my energy into that and quit everything else.

Even though I still love yoga, I keep coming back to running. I’m currently on my 5th couch to 5k program. Yup, I’ve started it four times and quit running four times. The miracle of these types of programs is that they actually work by easing you into it. At first it may feel a little strange if you haven’t used those muscles in that way in a while. But slowly, over time, you get used to it and your body remembers how good it feels.

I’m on week 5 of 12 and I haven’t quit yet. I can’t say what’s going to happen later but I know that it feels good to move my body and I want to keep that feeling. Especially now, I need all the tools in my toolbox to keep me sane. So I’m running AND doing yoga AND throwing in a little strength training so I don’t hurt myself. I’m not thinking about quitting but I know that if I ever do, it will all be here for me to start again and again and again.

What have you quit that you’d like to start again?