Running - A Year Round Plan

by Jeff Galloway

Getting out the door early in the morning The second most common motivational problem that I’m asked about relates to the comfort of the bed, when you wake up and know that it is time to run. State your desired outcome: To be walking and running away from the house early in the morning. Detail the challenge: Desire to lie in bed, no desire to exert yourself so early. The stress of the alarm clock, and having to think about what to do next when the brain isn’t working very fast. Break up the challenge into a series of actions, which lead you through the mental barriers, no one of which is challenging to the left brain. • The night before, you lay out your running clothes and shoes, near your coffee pot, so that you don’t have to think. • Set your alarm, and say to yourself over and over: “alarm off, feet on the floor, to the coffee pot” or….“alarm, floor, coffee.” As you repeat this, you visualize doing each action without thinking. By repeating it, you lull yourself to sleep. You have also been programming yourself for taking action the next morning. • The alarm goes off. You shut it off, put feet on the floor, and you head to the coffee pot—all without thinking. • You’re putting on one piece of clothing at a time, sipping coffee, never thinking about exercise. • With coffee cup in hand, you walk out the door to see what the weather is like. • Sipping coffee, you walk to edge of your block or property to see what the neighbors are doing. • Putting coffee down, you cross th...