Free Will

I've considered this before, and even read a little about it, but it just became completely obvious that our free will has a lot to do with will power.

As motivated and disciplined as I might seem to all of you, every time I have to go do a workout, I moan and complain about it, dragging my feet until I'm out the door. Then it gets better. I find most of my success comes from forming habits and routine. Because routine will pull you through when you're lacking motivation.

It's hard to get myself going because I have a choice. Free will. I can sit on the couch and eat brie and read a book all day or I can get off my butt and go run. Do any of you seriously think I would like to run more than I would like to sit on my butt and eat cheese? You're dreaming. So I drag my feet and complain until I'm out the door and gliding along the street (until recently).

But then I go and tear a hamstring. Of course the first week when I was in so much pain that I didn't want to get off the couch, I did not miss any form of exercise. I didn't even want to think about how I was going to walk across campus the next day.

Then I started getting better...and craving a run. I did some easy spins on the stationary bike. It kept me company for a few days, then it wasn't enough. I went for a real ride and it was the most freeing feeling in the world. But I still couldn't run.

Now I'm at a point where I'm doing little test runs now and then. I was assigned a 7 minute run last weekend and boy what it took to get me out of the house. It seemed gloomy and chilly out. I didn't want to go. As I complained and whined to my friend about how I completely lacked the motivation to get out there and run, she said "But you're lacing up your shoes!"

I suppose I was. It's the habit of getting myself out the door when I don't want to. Just tie your shoes and like magic, you're out the door.

Today my tendon is acting up, after a short run this morning, two workouts yesterday and an attempt to do a second run a few hours ago. I decided tomorrow needs to be a day off except for my therapy exercises and some stretching.

And since I have now decided that I need to take tomorrow off or I will completely blow out my hamstring, for the past hour I have been racking my brain to think of what workout I could do tomorrow. The pool on campus is closed because it's spring break...and so is the gym. I should not go for a bike ride and I should definitely not attempt a run.Which makes me want to go out and do a workout.

It might be time for me to start studying and doing homework. Classes start back up again next week and I've got a mid-term to study for, a computer lab assignment to finish and I've got to come up with a topic for a term paper...but since I've got a choice of getting on Pinterest or studying...well....you know.