I hate the first mile of every run! There...I said it! During that first mile, I feel like I have the devil (aka "Slacker") on one shoulder and an angel (aka "Cheerleader) on the other. The internal arguments can get brutal!
"Slacker" speaks my language! She is always trying to convince me that I don't have to meet my daily running goal or that I don't need to be running anyway. I mean, it's HOT out there right now! It's July...in the South!
Thank goodness for the "Cheerleader". She gently cheers me on by telling me to just run one more mile or telling me that "I can do it!". Sometimes it's as simple as make it to the speed limit sign, or the next telephone pole. Whatever "she" needs to do to keep me going.
This mind game usually goes on throughout the entire first mile, and sometimes the entire run. Luckily, the "Cheerleader" usually wins which surprises me because I see myself more as a "Slacker" when it comes to exercise.
As I am running today and thinking about this, it dawns on me that this "mind game" happens everyday in real life. We "see" ourselves a certain way. That becomes "who we are". Words and thoughts are powerful. What you believe and say becomes real. However, if we push ourselves outside of our comfort zone, it's amazing what we can accomplish. The hardest part is getting off the couch, putting on our running shoes, and challenging and believing in ourselves. Once you get through that first mile, it always gets easier. Whether or not we succeed is determined by which voice we listen to...the "Cheerleader" or the "Slacker".
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