Jedi Mind Tricks

And the Art of Getting Out the Door to Run. The real story.

1) Bury deep the thoughts and feelings of how running sucks. (Once you start down the dark path...)

2) Plan to run early in the morning the night before. Upon waking, tend to the minimum of personal self care tasks, get dressed, and get out the door as soon as possible. Avoid any thought of what will happen when you cross the threshold. Make getting out the door AS SOON AS POSSIBLE your primary objective, this avoids giving the mind the opportunity to procrastinate.

3) Think about what you will eat when you're done running and how good that food will feel in your mouth, nourishing your cells.

4) Think about all the HOT bodies you'll see on the path. Think about being/becoming one of those HOT bodies someone else will see on the path. :)

5) Savor and enjoy the challenge and discipline of running long or running fast. Indulge the competitor inside of you, the seeker of adventure inside of you. Know that if you don't run this time when you said you would, it'll be that much more difficult to run next time. (This is karma!)

6) To follow up on #2, have a procedure in mind. As in:

Have running clothes readily available... Toilet. Brush teeth. Neti pot if necessary. Eat 2-4 dates. Grab gel shot. Drink water. Out the door.

7) Think about what cool place you're going to go run next. Barcelona? The Carribbean? The Great Wall? Think about other people being jealous and in awe of your exploits. (This is a desperate measure, I admit, but sometimes necessary.)

8) Remember that there will be moments where running is bliss. You have to run the sucky runs to get to the blissful ones. They do exist and they are the best of times.

9) Remember when you're done, you will be happier, calmer, and feel more at-one with the universe.

10) And the ultimate, fail-safe plan: make plans to meet a (reliable) running buddy you like to gossip with and have a ball! :)