The power of a fixed running schedule

[RainRunner33]

I'm doing the C25K programme - though because of a bad knee, I've been advised to do every week twice before moving to the next one, so I've been running for 4 weeks but I only just completed (my second go-round of) W2R2. Despite the slow progress, though, I've been loving it. At the start, I made a rule for myself that I would run every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Today, for the first time, I really didn't want to run when I woke up in the morning, and felt the power of having a fixed schedule.

It was a friend's birthday yesterday, and I may have a had a couple beers too many (socially distant, in a park, in Norway where we've been able to open up a fair bit). When I woke up this morning, I felt rough, and I started negotiating with myself. Maybe I could do the run tomorrow, and then push the third run to Saturday, and then... But then I stopped myself. "It's Wednesday. I have to run today, even if it'll be a shitty run."

Well, lo and behold, it wasn't a shitty run at all, and now I feel so much better than I did when I woke up - I was able to run off a bit of the hangover, leaving me much more ready to face my workday.

Previously in life, when I've tried to start working out, it's been that kind of negotiation that's derailed me. "I don't wanna go to the gym today because of XYZ, I'll just do it tomorrow" - and then suddenly it's been 6 months and I haven't been to the gym at all. Making my running schedule a non-negotiable thing that I /have/ to do, regardless of how I feel (with the exception of if my knee starts acting up, which it thankfully hasn't yet) really makes such a huge difference. My goal is just to continue doing it for, well, the rest of my life. Monday, Wednesday and Friday are now my running days, and it feels awesome.

[Overweightandunfit Graduate]

My running days are Monday, Wednesday and Friday as well and it definitely helps having a fixed schedule. It is so easy to think oh I’ll do it tomorrow but then tomorrow never comes!

[Tasha99 Graduate]

Sometimes you might want to swap and that’s fine. Saturday is good as it’s parkrun day. Sometimes you need to swap because of the weather or maybe you’re ill. I have run a minimum of 3 days a week since starting c25k though and daren’t stop 🤣

[RainRunner33 in reply to Tasha99]

Running with other people and doing races doesn't really appeal to me, so I don't think I'll be doing parkrun. I guess weather wise I might swap if it gets way too hot, but I run in the early mornings - and I love running in the rain. But yeah, I get that there probably are very valid reasons to swap sometimes - my "oh but I'm a bit hungover" this morning just wasn't that 😅 And knowing myself, sticking as strictly as possible to my schedule is the best way to ensure I don't get derailed.

[Tasha99 Graduate in reply to RainRunner33]

Gale force winds and ice are the issues 👍🏽