The key to so many things that I want to accomplish, for me anyway, is making a habit. If I want to write well, I should write all the time. Great piano players make piano playing a habit. Alcoholics make drinking a habit. Habits run our lives. I start morning the very same way every single day: I turn on the computer and make a pot of coffee. Every morning. That's my habit. Once you've elevated some behavior to the status of habit, it's smooth sailing for that habit, it runs on auto-pilot, and it's very difficult to stop it. Just as difficult almost as breaking a habit though, is the making a habit in the first place. Especially so if it's a beneficial habit. Creating a good habit sucks. (This by the way is not necessarily so with bad habits).
Some years ago, running was my habit. I didn't need much motivation to get out and run. It was part of my routine; it had become habit. It wasn't always like that of course. The process of developing the habit was long and took a great deal of patience. I was about 36 when I dabbled in running again (the first time being during my teen years). Though I had keep active most of my years with other sports and activities, I couldn't run a street block without it feeling that my heart was going burst out of my chest. That pissed me off, which is the catalyst for my subsequent running years. The road was very slow; it took months, perhaps more than a year (I don't even recall!) to have the endurance to run ten miles. By then of course, I was already hooked, the habit had been formed, and just like all habits, it stuck with me for a long time, until it didn't (injuries and life took me down).
So, here I am once again systematically trying to make running a habit. Fortunately, I can run much more than a street block. I ran five miles at the harbor this past Friday (Nov. 1). Five miles is a lot more difficult than it used to be, that's for sure. It didn't kill me though, and it didn't feel like my heart was going to burst out of my chest. My goal for this run was just to establish a routine, get my feet moving for consecutive miles. It's all part of Phase I (Getting Started) on my road to Calico -- then I will bide my time (in other words force myself) until it becomes habit.
Some years ago, running was my habit. I didn't need much motivation to get out and run. It was part of my routine; it had become habit. It wasn't always like that of course. The process of developing the habit was long and took a great deal of patience. I was about 36 when I dabbled in running again (the first time being during my teen years). Though I had keep active most of my years with other sports and activities, I couldn't run a street block without it feeling that my heart was going burst out of my chest. That pissed me off, which is the catalyst for my subsequent running years. The road was very slow; it took months, perhaps more than a year (I don't even recall!) to have the endurance to run ten miles. By then of course, I was already hooked, the habit had been formed, and just like all habits, it stuck with me for a long time, until it didn't (injuries and life took me down).
So, here I am once again systematically trying to make running a habit. Fortunately, I can run much more than a street block. I ran five miles at the harbor this past Friday (Nov. 1). Five miles is a lot more difficult than it used to be, that's for sure. It didn't kill me though, and it didn't feel like my heart was going to burst out of my chest. My goal for this run was just to establish a routine, get my feet moving for consecutive miles. It's all part of Phase I (Getting Started) on my road to Calico -- then I will bide my time (in other words force myself) until it becomes habit.
5 mile harbor run:
