Top 5 Reasons Not To Run In 2022
I write lists for everything in the Notes app of my iPhone. Mostly it’s a place where ideas go to die, but I tell myself that consigning them to the digital ether is useful, even if I never look at it again. It’s cathartic in a way. And at least they’re not swirling around my head anymore and I can actually concentrate on the things I need to do. I would hope the good ideas stick around anyway, noted or not.
So I thought I’d do a wee running list.
I thought of Top 5 Running Goals for 2022, but that seemed like a recipe for self-flagellation somewhere down the line.
Or Top 5 Reasons to Start / Keep Running in 2022, but that seemed a bit preachy.
Top 5 Books I Read in 2021 (Tangentially) Related To Running was a possibility. I’d quite like to do this and will another time.
But I decided that what would be most useful was a pre-emptive strike. I thought laying out my Top 5 Excuses For Not Running in 2022 (plus counter arguments) might mean I’ll cut them off at the pass when they inevitably crop up.
Because here’s the thing: I’ve never regretted going for a run.
Not once. Seriously.
I can think of one time I started and never made it past the top of the road before quitting and walking the 100 yards home, but that was a weird one.
And there’s been a couple of times when minor injuries have stopped me running or made me feel like I shouldn’t be. But even then there’s been something to enjoy.
Every. Single. Run.
Weird, eh?
I suppose that’s why I’m here, writing this every week: there’s magic in running.
But it’s easy to forget that, or lose sight of it. And although I’m fully cognisant of this, it doesn’t mean I always find it easy to get out and get going. I’ve got excuses, just like everyone.
Now, the following excuses are pretty personal to me, which means some common things might not apply.
I don’t mind bad weather, for example. In fact I mostly relish it - cold, rain, wind, snow, whatever. I like a bit of weather. And I quite like the dark, too.
Lack of time isn’t generally problem. I’ve got two young kids and a full time job (plus side hustles), so there are pressures, but I’ve got access to trails and hills right from the doorstep at home or work, and the two are less than 2 miles apart. It would be a rare day that I couldn’t fit in a run of some kind if I’m really trying.1
There’s no monotony of terrain here. I could run for the rest of my life and still not cover everything.
And I’m not reliant on anyone else. I don’t mind doing things by myself.
So, in no particular order, these are my Top 5 Excuses For Not Running in 2022…
1. I’m stressed at work / I’ve got work to do
A bit of a classic, this. Work gets in the way and work causes stress. If it didn’t it would be called something else instead of “work”. Like Happy Happy Fun Times. But it’s Work, and I (and likely you) will definitely use it as an excuse not to go for a run.
The Counter:
As if it needs saying - running tends to de-stress you. If you’re feeling under pressure then the best thing to do is forget about it entirely. Even if just for a short while, and even if it seems counter intuitive. You don’t need to go on a long run, even something quick will help. Then you can get back to that oh so important work (and probably sit staring at it for longer than the run before you achieve anything meaningful).
Plus, if it’s creative work then moving will help. Movement reddens the embers of ideas; sitting catatonic in front of a screen smothers them with a damp cloth.
2. I can’t decide where to go
This might be mostly me. I struggle when it comes to planning and making decisions. Sometimes, for me, running feels like opening Netflix, flicking through it for a while (by-passing everything you’ve added to your own list, of course) then closing it down without watching anything because you can’t find anything you feel like right now. There are lots of days I don’t run, simply because I can’t decide where to go and then I get fed up thinking about it.
The counter:
Go with other people more often. Go to the reps session at the club you keep avoiding. Go on some race routes. Check some runs off that Runs To Check Off list in your notes that’s about as useful as your Netflix list.
Alternatively, stop being a twat and just go anywhere. It’s not like you’re short of choice.
3. I want to do something else
If you suffer from the same sort of afflictions as me, in that you want to do everything, then you’ll understand that sometimes it’s a perfect day for lots of things. A good day to go into the hills can be a good day to paddle or surf or skate or swim or any number of things. Sometimes you get bored with doing the same thing all the time, even if there’s a lot of variety within it.
The counter:
I’m going to give myself a pass on this one. Running is less weather dependent than other things, and the likelihood is that I’ll do it far more than anything else. So if it’s a perfect day to do something else, I’m mostly just going to do it.
4. It’s too early
I am not an early morning runner. I’d like to be, because starting your day with a run before anyone else is up must be great. But I can’t do it. Once in a while, sure, but I’m not someone who can make a habit of it and I’m always impressed with those who do.
The counter:
Just get out your bed. It’s not that hard. Once you’re moving it’ll be all good. And imagine how fucking fantastic you’ll feel for the rest of the day. You admire people who get up early and get stuff done - remember that.
(Bizarrely, I often find my greatest clarity for reading and writing to be first thing in the morning, so I’m a bit conflicted about whether I should bother to change this).
5. I just don’t feel like it
I think everyone has doldrums with running. Maybe it’s true of anything you do regularly? But there are definitely periods of general malaise in which one or all of the above excuses will stew in your mind and kill the running buzz. This is the worst one I reckon, because the cause of it is unclear, and if you can’t pinpoint the problem it can be hard to break out of.
As mentioned previously, my most significant experience of this came when I’d signed up for a long, hilly race I needed to train for. I found that when running became a necessity I didn’t want to do it. The fact the race was delayed through lockdowns etc definitely played into this, but it was mostly a case of my own inability to make decisions and resentment of planning, or the stress I’d feel if I missed a run.
Incidentally, I will race next year. I mean, I made a spreadsheet of things I’m interested in, so I must be serious! I’ll just be careful about what I pick and how I approach it. Not so much for short hill races or local races, I can do those anytime, but for the longer stuff. And I’m fairly sure I want to do a long race or two this year.
The counter:
The best thing to do when I feel like this is just go for a run, any run. Running somewhere new is particularly effective, so is going out the door with no clue where you’re going or how long you’ll take.2 Turning off Strava works, too. And actually, doing something else for a while instead of running is perfectly ok!
But REMEMBER: You enjoy something about every run and never regret it!
So those are my top excuses for not doing something I enjoy. Hopefully now they’re aired, reasoned and countered I can revisit them throughout the year when I need to have a quiet word with myself.
(Or maybe now I’ve written them down I can just ignore it in the tradition of my lists!)
Maybe you could write your own top excuses?
And finally, spare a thought for John Kelly, at time of writing he’s approaching Loch Treig dam (where he’ll no doubt have some provisions stashed) and about to turn around and head back west. At this point he’s been on the go for 14 hrs in his attempt to be the first person to complete a solo, unsupported, sub 24hr Ramsay Round in winter.
I have no idea if he’ll do it or not, but it looks tight. I might go for a jog later just to see what a human looks like after subjecting themselves to that level of effort, weather and sleep deprivation.
I went for a 5 hr run yesterday with Ruaraidh and Fraser in the pishing wet to a very moderate height, and with plenty laughs and provisions to keep us going. There’s a lot of water moving in the hills. When we stopped for something to eat at the high point both extra layers and a wee whisky were badly needed as temperatures dropped rapidly. It’s difficult to conceptualise what sort of challenges John Kelly must be facing, but fair play and good luck to him.
I also have a very understanding partner who never rarely complains about me running.
Once again, thanks Melanie.