We are programmed to JUST DO IT! and GO HARD OR GO HOOOOOME!
We think rest is for the weak and naps are for children. We have been trained to believe “if you don't have what you want, well, you just haven't worked HARD enough” and ask ourselves if we could be doing more. (This is called “Hustle Culture”)
Right now you might be wondering ...
Without a race on the calendar, will I still be able to go hard, and work hard? Am I doing enough right now, could I be doing more? If I don’t have a reason to go HARD, shouldn’t I stay home and do more work?
Eff that. The only thing you need is a break.
You are a Boss. Bosses have responsibilities. Not all Boss responsibilities can be delegated or shared. You don't skip runs or cut them short because you don't work hard, you have to cut runs short sometimes precisely because you are Dedicated AF.
Now, maybe for the first time ever, you realize what we mean when we say the race was the excuse, not the reason.
Putting a race on the calendar put a personal goal in play, and THAT protected your daily act of self-care. The race prevented everyone around you from reducing the badass hobby that provides alone time, mental space and improved health into something unproductive, pointless, and hard to justify.
You never needed a reason to go. You needed a reason to stop.
The world needs Bosses like you taking care of business and making things happen. In order to do that, you need to create time and space in your day to clear your head and ignore everything except the sound of your own breathing and the feel of the ground beneath your feet.
There’s your justification for a daily run.
It’s soul food, and we’re starving.
Now what? What kind of run do you do, how often do you do it?
We tell all of our clients when Boss duties beckon, get out of training mode and grab 30-60 minutes for yourself. Celebrate what you do and don’t worry about what you miss, if you are getting what you need right now then you are not behind.
Our go-to workout is Avocado Toast- 30-60 minutes of easy effort running followed by 4-6 strides. Nourish your soul without punishing your body.
It's easy to go hard. It's hard to go smart. Boss runners who are #coachedandloved are Smart AF #winningatlife. We get more out of what we do because we never wonder if we are doing enough (or feel guilty about the occasional nap).
Need more ideas for breaks? Check this infographic!
Coach MK Fleming is the founder of Fitness Protection, LLCwhere she coaches all kinds of runners for $29 per month and gives marathon plans away for free. Click here to download her most popular training plan, Tenacious AF!