But do you even have to like running?

People always say to me…

You must really like running

The honest answer is I hate it.

No seriously

The actual running bit, the bit where I have to move my legs for hours and hours on end to get to a finish line is tough. Of course I love all the stuff around it, the signing up for races, the community, the talk about kit and reaching the goals I set for myself…but the running itself often sucks….cos its hard.

So the question I have to ask is

Do you have to REALLY enjoy something to do it?

You often here people say

Find an activity you like and you will be more likely to stick with it

But is that true? I like dancing more than I like running, but logistics and practicalities of enjoying dance as an adult are just not as viable as running is.

Maybe its a myth that we have to enjoy sport.

img_3436Earlier this year when we were in Rhodes on the Too Fat to Run Retreat we had a lovely yoga instructor David who came in some mornings to get us moving in a more gentle fashion than the 8am hill sprints.

img_3439With the ocean in the background and all of us sat cross legged on our yoga mats in the beautiful surroundings of our luxury villa he started the session off with a bit of talk about the practice of yoga and why it was such a good companion for us runners.

It was so peaceful, so calming, so relaxing and then he said something that literally hit my like a house…and has stuck with me ever since.

Like or don’t like, I don’t care…you don’t have to like yoga to be able to enjoy its benefits

img_1367

I had heard Yoga sensation Jessamyn Stanley earlier in the year say something similar (you can read about how we met here), talking about the resistence she had at first to yoga, and now understanding that the bits that she hated were the bits she most needed.

The being still, the pushing our bodies, the being out of our comfort zone…well yoga (and running) make us confront those uncomfortable moments head on.

I seriously have a love hate relationship with yoga and know I am fighting myself for no good reason over it.

But back to the running.

This month we are running a pilot programme with 100 ladies from the TFTR community to see how easy it is to improve your 5K time over an 8 week period following some simple principles. Part of the terms of the programme is that you have to get out 3 times a week, with one of the runs being a 5K…and it is fascinating seeing the women feeding back saying

I really didn’t want to go, but I did…and guess what? I ran faster than last week.

We are kidding ourselves if we think in life that we only need do the things we enjoy, surely by taking that approach we are excluding ourselves from the possibilities of growth and adventure?

So ladies, think about the things you say you dislike and ask yourself why you dislike them. Is it because they are hard? Is it because you haven’t mastered them yet? Is it because its easier to say you don’t like them than face the truth about why you struggle with them.

In May 2017 a brand new cohort of ladies will be joining us on our week long health and happiness retreat. There will be activities you don’t like…but I guarantee you will start understanding what your resistence is to them, and plus there will be a whole heap of activities you will enjoy.

img_6628

Prices start at just £599 and Easy Jet Flights to Rhodes from the UK have just been released today, so are at the cheapest they are likely to be.

Coming on one of our retreats is of course scary, but you will all be in exactly the same boat and the week is designed specifically for you, with workshops, activities and excursions that will help you live healthier and happier lives once you get back home.

For more information check out this link and feel free to contact us if you have any questions on help@toofattorun.co.uk

Shopping Cart