193. It's not about how fast you go. It's not about how far you go. It's a process.

So I'm not disagreeing with this (not known for my speed) and again not disagreeing (marathon, shmarathon) and then it all goes wrong. "It's a process"?? Never, in the entire world of motivational statements has the phrase "It's a process" provoked anything other than, at best, mild interest. More often, apathy and/or outright despair are the net results of deploying the "process" word. No one, but no one, really cares about processes above all else. And I say this as someone whose job quite possible is to believe in process above all...

And anyway, even if you're doing exercise for fun, it's all about speed and time. Are you faster than before? Can you go further? How do you compare with everyone else? Are you fast? Are you slow? And so on and so forth. Put a bunch of people doing exercise "for fun" in a room and it descends very, very quickly into one-upmanship on time, distance, endurance or degree of difficulty. Which is at least something everyone can take part in...

Tonight was supposed to be a 6-mile run. It didn't rain (drat!) but I was tired and our of sorts and being given new tasks every time I turned around so... Another walk instead. Slightly faster average pace tonight for anyone keeping track of such things...

;oD

6th April's stats:
Walking - 6 miles, 1 hour 25 mins [there was a stone! In my shoe! Or I'd have been faster. Honest!]

192. Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.

Pfffth! Today was very much a "don't do it like this, kids" day. In fact, I think if we're keeping score, I'm at Motivation 0: Sloth 2.

Motivation is what gets you started - maybe (blind terror is known for setting people off running, after all). Habit is what keeps you going? Sadly, I've conclusively proved through various 5x50 Challenges (and this is Year 5, people...) that I am immune to the development of any habit which involves exercise. Of any kind. I have a rare and unfairly over-looked superpower which allows me to just stop all this exercise tosh and really be quite happy about it. Nope, not feeling that one. Next!

This evening was supposed to be a 4-mile run (well, jog. Well, fast walk with some jogging thrown in... Anyway, "run" is just shorter to write...). But I was hungry when I got home (sooooo hungry) and decided to eat dinner first. "You can't have dinner until after the run" is supposed to motivate me, erm, do the run. Obviously, it's not 100% effective.

So once I've had dinner there can be no running (just doesn't work) and so this is re-scheduled into a 4-mile walk (at pace, mind, I'm not just strolling around the place in the dark - that way trouble lies...). Admittedly, it took a while to get there, as dinner involved toast and someone forgot that the bread has to not just be put in the toaster but also plunged into the fiery depths in order to produce toast...

Eventually, therefore, as my thoughts were turning to bed (ah, sleep!), I dragged myself out the house for a 4-mile walk using my tried and trusted 4-mile route. Which turned out to be 5 miles long. And, not I come to think of it, the 4-mile route might have been a different one... It appears that I can't be trusted to remember these things accurately (or the tracker has just randomly started making up distances again - it happens). Well, yes, so, all told, not exactly the world's most successful day. Still, it's nearly tomorrow and that's bound to be better what with me doing all this regular exercise and changing my life and so forth...

:o}

5th April's stats:
Walking - 5 miles, 1 hour 13 mins [well, that was a bit longer than planned...]

191. Every day is another chance to change your life

So, yes, motivation... Um, still looking.

En route, however, we can take the time to marvel at and enjoy the wise words of wisdom that are offered up as motivation. Cute pictures and pithy sayings that are intended to inspire...

But as a general rule just send me reaching for the sick bucket or the next available doughnut. I know, I know, it's just me... But, am I really alone? Hmmm??

"Every day is another chance to change your life" is a case in point. I'm sure it is theoretically excruciatingly accurate, but really, even if you wake up on a given morning and think to yourself "today I want to change my life", how likely is it that you will have achieved this goal by the time your return to bed that evening? Really? I mean, even if you do something ridiculously major and life-altering like, erm, filing for divorce or resigning from your job or whatever... That might change your life eventually but, after a brief high, you're generally far more likely to wake up the next morning and sadly discover that your life is pretty much the same as it was yesterday and the day before. Which is, frankly, de-motivating...

So I am against such bold statement as they set up the unwary for failure. Which I'm just not good with.

Of course, my favourite motivational phrase from last year is taken from a sign put up half-way through a half-marathon which stated "Turn back - it's a trap!" so... Probably worth remembering that when taking your own position on motivational statements...

:o)

3rd April's stats:
Walking - 3.45 miles, 50 mins [desperately wanted to go to bed]
2nd April's stats:
Walking - 3.16 miles, 46 mins [here, there, everywhere, with an inordinate amount of hills]
31st March's stats:
Walking - 3.38 miles, 50 mins [because nothing finishes off a 14-hour day like a quick walk]
29th March's stats:
Walking - 2.13 miles, 34 mins [only have to do 30 mins per day, so there!]
28th March's stats:
Walking - 2.76 miles, 38 mins [oops, starting the 5x50 a day late... Regular shmegular..]
19th March's stats:
Walking - 2.54 miles, 39 mins [... I re-start regular exercise! Doubt me not!!]
Walking - 2.03 miles, 30 mins [... is the day...]
Walking - 2.24 miles, 34 mins [Today! Today...]