I’m two weeks into 75 Hard, and I can report that my excuses are in excellent shape. They show up every day, fresh and creative, like they’re the ones on a challenge.
Too cold. Too wet. Too hungry. Not thirsty. And the all-time classic: I just want to veg.
That last one is a real contender. It never needs a reason. It just sits on the couch and waits.
Great timing, as usual
I started this on Icebox 480 race week. Looking back, that might not have been my sharpest scheduling move. Race week is already a full-time job of logistics, texts, and forecast checks. Then the forecast turned into a three-day rainstorm.
Nothing says “go take a walk” like a cold, steady rain and a race to direct. My excuses didn’t even have to try. They got a week of easy wins, and I missed a few early evening walks.
Week two got comfortable
Week one still went pretty well, rain and all. Week two is where I got sloppy. I’d gotten a little too friendly with my excuses, and they noticed.
It’s dark when I get done with work now. It’s cold. The couch is warm and has no opinion about my goals. Walking out the door into that takes drive, and some nights I couldn’t find any.
It’s not all bad news
Planet Fitness and I are getting along well. I go almost every day, I have a regimen I’m sticking to, and I’m starting to feel the subtle changes. Nothing dramatic. Just the quiet kind of progress that makes you stand a little taller in the mirror.
I’m also reading, which deserves its own parade. I haven’t read a book since college, which is a little embarrassing to say out loud. Now I read at least 10 pages every day. Ten pages isn’t much, but it’s ten more than I was doing, and the habit is sticking.
And the water. I drink way more of it than I used to, some days at least a gallon. I have become a person who carries water everywhere and checks it like a stock price.
I miss the long runs
Here’s the thing nobody warns you about. When you swap your running for a gym routine and an evening walk, you notice what’s missing. For me, it’s the long Saturday morning run.
Yesterday I finally got one. I left early, left the watch at home, and ran 10 miles with no pace, no splits, and no one to report to. I loved every step.
It was cold, quiet, and still dark for the first stretch. I wasn’t chasing a number. I just ran until it felt right, and then a bit longer. It reminded me that running doesn’t need to be tracked to count. It also reminded me why I’m not giving it up.
If you want to know what my excuses sound like on a Saturday morning run, the answer is nothing. They stayed home.
I’m not a hardcore 75 Hard guy
I know the internet version of this challenge. It’s all sunrise workouts and zero-excuse energy. That isn’t me, at least not yet. I’m a guy learning in public, wearing the wrong shoes for the weather and negotiating with himself in the driveway.
But I’m still pushing forward. Two weeks in, I’ve learned I’ll do almost anything if it feels like running, and I’m working on making the rest feel a little more like that. I’m curious what week three brings. Based on the forecast and the daylight, probably more excuses. I’ll be ready for them.