….and My Story Runs On….

You know it happens all the time…You plan a run with some friends and inadvertently, someone cancels.  Most times it’s OK because you had other friends that were coming too….but what happens when all 6 of your friends were supposed to meet you for a run and they all cancel within 12 hours?

Well, this happened to me this morning!  So what did I do?

1. Ask myself do I really want to go run now?  I planned for a longer run because it’s rare that I have a weekend day off.  My plan was 8-10 miles.  Most of my friends were probably not doing that distance but company is always good for a longer run. Did I feel like doing it by myself today?
2. Talk to the boyfriend who was also planning on coming but decided that he had too much work to do.  Of course, I thought the same thing. I have a bunch of stuff to do and I could have an extra few hours to get work done.  But work will always be there…
3. Did not get mad at my friends!  Hey, I always tell everyone to listen to their body.  Regardless of their reason for not being there, that was their choice and I love them just the same!  Their decision should NOT impact my decision to run or not.
4. Sat there and went through the 5 Mindful Steps from ChiLiving. This is always a great way for me to listen to my body and make a solid decision.  “Many of the choices we make each day are so quick and often done unconsciously, that if we are not in an aligned, balanced state, we can end up choosing poorly.”  This is something I try to practice as much as possible that I’ve also learned through meditation.  Too often we make choices without really thinking about it.
5. Thought of the reasons why I should run:  training for a 12 our event on 7/12, getting extra steps and vigorous activity for my sweepstakes entry with Kardio Fit, and because I just wanted to get out and run the trails!

So, after going through this process, I made the choice to go run on my own and have no regrets!  I ran 8 beautiful miles on trail and feel great!

CAUTION:  part of the Making A Choice process, also entails being responsible for your decision.  If I would’ve chose NOT to run, I would’ve made the decision consciously and had NO regrets. Too often, most people will make a decision on the fly, regret it and beat themselves up for hours about not making the right decision. When you make a conscious choice, you accept the consequences as well.

So next time you have a choice to make, try these 5 Mindful Steps. They have not let me down yet.

(And to my friends, I hope you all made conscious choices!  I don’t want any of you beating yourselves up and regretting it.  I’m happy that you listened to your bodies and made the choice that was right for you!)

From My Running Story to Yours….
(if you feel inspired to share your comments, do so below…I want to hear your story too!)