Two Weeks to a Habit (Running Style)

Today's Google Search

Seems like I have always heard that it just takes two weeks of doing things for them to become a habit. So I thought I'd see who said that first. The image to the left is my attempt at answering that question.

Today is the 20th day of the year. We've just about finished 3 weeks so anything you (or I) started as a New Year's resolution could (and should) be, now, a habit. How are you doing?

Yesterday I went to the track and completed day one of the 4th week of the 5K 101 Program. I have run this program 3 times a week (Sun/Tue/Thu) for three straight weeks. I also do a couple mile run (if you can call it that) each Saturday. That run is done without stopping to walk like the schedule in the 5K 101 program and is done around our local community college campus.

It used to be that I "wouldn't lace 'em up for less than a 3 mile run." Now I'd kill to be able to run, really run, 3 miles.  I started running because of the Navy physical fitness requirement while I was in college. And, from my 19th birthday until sometime in my early 30's I did dozens of 5K's, 10k's, Half Marathons and Marathons. I wasn't fast, but I could average better than 8 minute miles for any distance less than 20 miles.

Now I'm on the long road back to running for fun. Yes for fun. I used to love running. I'd wave or nod to everyone I passed by and I'd sing to myself while listening to whatever music was coming through my headset.  Now it's more painful than fun but something interesting happened yesterday on the track. I smiled. And I didn't spend time looking down at my feet (embarrassed for being so slow and so fat). My time per lap wasn't any faster than last Thursday but there was something different about this run - I was (almost) enjoying myself.

Two weeks to a habit.  My 4 day per week running plan is now a habit. As a matter of fact I'm looking out the door at this beautiful day and wishing I didn't need to take the day off from running (my 60+ pounds of excess tonnage isn't good for my joints).  But I'll definitely go for a walk later. I need to keep those legs moving.

I hope each of you has found that one thing that you have made a habit this year. If you haven't, yet, found something to create a habit around remember - it only takes two weeks to become a habit (or is it three?....)