It’s Sunday morning and I have overslept. All I want to do is just an easy run. Yet, the perennial debate starts the moment my comfort zone is threatened—Pushy and Laidback, my running inner voices, pop up as usual.
Pushy: Are you sure you want to do just a loop and turn back at the 4 km point, skipping the climb?
Laidback: I’m not in shape. The sun is beating down, and I don’t have any water. I can feel the niggling discomfort in my knee coming back.
Pushy: It’s just a 50 m elevation gain over 700 m. It’ll be over in just a few minutes. You can spend the rest of Sunday on the couch. Also, you’re from Singapore. You can take this little bit of heat.
Laidback: It’s a short climb, but it STINGS. Also, there are some trails on the way back. My heart rate will shoot up.
Pushy: Excuses, excuses. How are you going to get back into your running routine?
Laidback: You know what? I will run 150 m more, up to the first junction. After that, we will see.
At the first junction, my heart rate was already racing.
Pushy: So, you have managed to run non-stop this far. Might as well finish the rest. If not, you will feel guilty for not finishing the route.
Laidback (panting hard): Might as well finish the rest.
Thinking to myself: He’s right—I will not be in a good mood for the rest of the day if I stop now.
At the top, after 4.5 minutes of continuous climbing, I was rewarded with endorphins.
What do your running inner voices negotiate with you on a tough workout?
