Why I run in my Street Clothes;

It helps me Actually Go Run.

I highly recommend James Clear’s Book:   Atomic Habits

One concept that he explains is that; We Don’t Want to have Too Many Steps Between Us and Our Good Habits. Make it as easy as possible to do the habit Now. Put Your Habits Within Your Reach.

The motivation to go run can be short lived. I found myself losing motivation before I even got the running clothes on! I would overthink my plan for preparing to run, and then I wouldn’t want to actually Go run..

But when I just go out the door in what I’m wearing, there’s no time to lose motivation. And once I’ve started my run, the thrill of adventure takes over. I am on my way. And once I’ve established the habit, the motivation is not so fleeting.

The clothes that I’m used to, are also the clothes that I’m confident in. Starting a new habit can already make us feel vulnerable. We don’t exactly need the extra discomfort and lack of confidence that comes with wearing some skimpy overpriced clothes. We need all the confidence we can get when we’re establishing a new habit. We deserve to feel comfortable when we embark on uncharted territory. 

We want to learn how to feel good about ourselves as we establish our new habits. We don’t want to feel weak, exposed, and over budget. We want to be able to do recovery walks or respond to a schedule change, without feeling half-naked.  

It’s important to feel like ourselves, and that we are Improving Ourselves, not trying to be someone else. Maybe we will eventually like wearing those skimpy clothes. Maybe we will eventually be motivated enough to get through an elaborate preparation process. Maybe we can afford those fancy clothes, or maybe we can’t. 

But maybe for now; it’s best to just go. Go make it happen Now. Improve our gear situation later, if we want. Not Let the Gear Postpone the Goal. After all; running can and should be the athletic activity with the least obstacles to entry. We can help put the habit within our reach.