Top Ten Excuses for Missing a Run

I believe at least 50% of all runners have the ability to qualify for Boston. Less than 3% or so actually do. Why? Lack of proper training. Not so much because of not having the opportunity to train, but more because of the failure to create that opportunity. Below are the top 10 excuses, many of them have been gathered from the Fast Running Blog, a site dedicated to helping people eliminate them.

• There was no time to run today. (Solution: get up 15 minutes earlier, do some of your errands running, take your kids to a track or a park and run while they play, etc).
• I did not have the energy. ( Solution: run slower, but still go the distance. Also, sometimes it takes a while to warm up, in fact as you become more fit it takes longer and longer to warm up. Sometimes I do not feel like running for the first 4 miles, then everything is just fine.)
• I wanted to run but things got in the way. (Solution: plan your run at the time of day when not many people will dare schedule anything they expect you to participate in, e.g. from 5 to 6 AM)
• The weather did not cooperate. (Solution: learn to run in adverse weather conditions. A little extra clothing for the cold, and a water bottle or a route with water stops for the heat do the trick)
  
• My run conflicted with my favorite TV show. (Solution: imagine yourself stopping to watch your favorite TV show during your attempt to qualify for Boston)
• My friend invited me to go to a party. (Solution: if this is a wholesome party, tell him you'll be 30 minutes to 1 hour late, otherwise just say no, this will give you an additional health bonus by staying away from performance-reducing substances)
• I went to bed to late last night and could not get up in the morning. (Solution: impose a bedtime curfew and enforce it with some cruel and unusual punishment for yourself if you break it, e.g smelling socks)
• My running partner did not show up. (Solution: remember that it will be your running partner that will not qualify for Boston, you do not have to join him in the failure)
• I was on vacation. (Solution: think about what would happen if you stopped for 20 minutes to see sights and take pictures during your attempt to qualify for Boston)
• I was traveling, the treadmill in my hotel was not working, and it was too dangerous to run outside. (Solution: circle around the parking lot  until you've reached your goal  time/distance)