Smaller Pieces

Today’s Numbers: Nancy's Total Movement Mileage: 809.4 (running: 631.2; walking: 33.4; biking: 144.8) Money Found For Food Bank: $71.76

2,015 in 2015 Change Hounds progress: Nancy: 809.4 Aaron: 531.6 (b: 470.6; w: 61)  Elly: 208.7 Total: 1549.7

If I'm being completely honest, I was totally over this morning's run before it even started. Some mornings are like that. I was tired both physically and mentally, and the idea of getting up to run was most unappealing. However, my desire to take the dog and log the miles, not to mention my hopes of spying some coins, trumped my emotions, and Elly and I went for it.

Within the first few steps ... not any particular, measurable distance ... steps ... I called for tomorrow to be a Rest Day which is exactly what kept me going today. Did I mention I was just tired? I wasn't too tired to notice this, though:

I saw these, too:

And, as Halloween decorations emerge, this spotting was very appropriate:

As with most everything we take on in life, this run was exactly what I made of it. And, I employed strategies that I use in daily life to make it happen, reapplied to be specific to this run:

• I embraced how I was feeling from the get go so I could work with what was real and not with what I might have tried to convince myself of otherwise.
• I found the less obvious perks of going to keep me motivated versus focusing on the run itself.
• I put in place something to look forward to (tomorrow's rest!) as something of a reward for persevering through what was currently challenging me. 
• I accepted that today's run wasn't going to be the best run I could ever do, but it was the best run I could do today.
• I prayed in thankfulness for all of the choices I had in front of me and for my ability, including physically, to figure out how to get from start to finish.

When something is staring at me that feels beyond the scope of what I have to give it in that moment, I like to break it down. Running is no exception.

Big things are easier to tackle in smaller pieces. Keep breaking it down as an option for when you feel overwhelmed ...

And, with no strategy necessary, I look forward to tomorrow's Rest Day! I'll be checking in ...