I’ve read somewhere that it takes 21 days to make something habit (I have no source for that…I could of made it up!) so I hope that is true, because i’m embarking on week 3. I’m not going to lie, it’s still hard to get up and go run or do Crossfit every day, especially on Mondays. I take Sundays off and its challenging to get it back going on Mondays, but you gotta just keep putting one foot in front of the others (that’s what I keep telling myself!)
I thought I would have one of my friends, Tyler Shackleford, share his thoughts on creating a habit and sticking to it. Tyler has completed a few half marathons and a full marathon – he is also one of the most caring, supporting, and encouraging guy I know!
‘A year ago a friend of mine Collin McMullen who is certified with the Atlanta Track Club came up to me, with at the time was quite the humorous comment. He told me I should start running. At the time running was probably the most hated forms of exercise I could think of. He told me he would help me train and I would love it before know time. The first couple of weeks I ran a few miles a day. After pushing myself further each and every day I decided to set a goal. I decided I was going to train for a half-marathon. I believe setting a goal is crucial to creating a habit. This gave me something to look forward too as well as strive towards. Without a goal I think I would’ve given up on running and wanted to move on. However, I stuck with it and after running 5 days a week for 4 months in a row I was able to complete a half-marathon. I decided to push myself even further and train for a full-marathon in the following 5 months. The important thing I learned while running was not where I started or about getting to my goal in 1 day. It was about consistently getting out there even on the days I felt like I couldn’t run. Creating a habit in anything is going to make us uncomfortable, but to form a habit you have to be consistent. Forming consistency requires us to be uncomfortable but that is because we are not used to it. I consistently ran and made sure I was able to push myself a little further each and every day. Running is a grind, but if you are consistent with it you will build a strong base. A great thing to remember while you are running is that it’s about just getting out there and giving it your best. Your not going to be able to run a half-marathon running once a week. You need to create a habit and run multiple times a week. Don’t be discouraged about where you are at in your fitness track compared to others. All you need to do is go out there and give it your best shot.’
My running schedule looks like this for the week:
Monday: 3.5 mile run
Tuesday: Crossfit
Wednesday: 2 mile run
Thursday: Crossfit
Friday: 3.5 mile run + strength
Saturday: 5 mile run
Sunday: REST!
