Excuses, Excuses

I caught a cold a few days ago, and it has been giving me a bit of a difficult time in the breathing department. After surviving my family's Christmas on Monday with the help of 800mg of Tylenol, I succumbed to sweatpants and a space heater the following day for some much-needed R&R. I awoke yesterday morning feeling so much better that I got dressed and went straight to the gym, needing the movement but struggling against a myriad of excuses that would make Santa's list look like a post-it note.

Realistically, I worked very little while walking on that treadmill, but it felt like I was running a marathon in my head. Movement helps me feel better when I'm no longer too sick to move- the extra circulation helps push the illness out, and I feel so much better if I can sweat a little, too- but it didn't come without a fight. Afterwards, I felt a little lightheaded on my way home, but later in the day I started to feel better and more energetic, a relief after 2 days of chills and spasmodic coughing.

Even though I only walked yesterday, I was still training mentally for challenges that surface when my body is tired and stressed. If I plan to run that half marathon next May, I'll need that learned positive mental reinforcement to stay focused, both in the race and in life.