By Lynette Lewis
Yesterday it was one of those ugly rainy days. Damp, dreary, drizzling. I knew my body needed a run, but oh how my mind and body wanted to stay inside and do nothing.
Just a few days before I was running in 75 degrees in sunny Raleigh. One woman who I passed on the street that day said, “I’m ignoring Christmas shopping and pretending it’s summer.” “Oh how true!” I replied with that mutual knowing that this was early December bliss and not to be missed.
Lots of people show up in the 70’s. Hardly anyone goes out in the 30’s, i.e. 10,000 people use Central Park on a typical day but not yesterday. I had it nearly all to myself and it felt like about 3 hours before I returned home, though it was really more like one hour. Long, cold, dreary one-hour run.
Over my 30+ years of weekly jogging, I’ve come to realize that most people are fair-weather warriors. Give us sun and warmth and we’ll all be out in droves. But make it a tad bit uncomfortable and we’re likely to stay indoors.
Kind of like life too. When it’s easy and comfy we all show up. But make it tough or treacherous and let’s all hold back. I really don’t want to be a fair-weather runner, or a fair-weather lifer. Because this body and this life need workouts regardless of the views outside.
Less about feelings, more about necessity. Do the right thing. The need-it-to-happen thing. Because that thing is what someone needs from us. Not because it feels good, but because it IS good. Good to be there. Good to show. Show what it’s like to be disciplined and tough, even when it’s rough. Mind over matter. Because what really matters is fitting, fitting and right and good and worth running for.
So run on dear friend. Run because you need to. And when you need to and you do it, you feel really great in the end, rained on or not. In my nice warm shower afterward I kept thinking about how happy I was that I ran.
You’re running too. And I’m still cheering you on…
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Lynette Lewis is an author, business consultant and an inspiring speaker. Her popular book, Climbing the Ladder in Stilettos, has been published in several languages receiving recognition from numerous sources including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Post, and The Dallas Morning News. She is also an author of a relationships book called Remember the Roses. lynettelewis.com
Running on empty but still running