1. I have been doing a lot of walking lately.  It’s nice cardio, I love being outdoors during the change of seasons, and it’s awesome head space for a busy enough person.  So I have a particular route near the gym I like best, and this week I noticed something…well, we’ll say I noticed something of note–I’m not quite sure it qualifies as interesting but anyhoo: no matter how many times along the walk I paused to send an email or text, no matter how many times I quickened the pace because it was cold, no matter how many times I slowed to PRACTICE MY CONSCIOUS FREAKING CONTEMPLATIVE BREATHING!!!!!, I came in at 50-51 minutes every walk.  I want to say the difference between my fastest and my slowest was about thirty seconds, and at a distance of 5k-ish (i.e., not all that short), that’s…of note.

Don’t need to dress this one up much further.  Inertia, the pull of the mean, a whole family of Joneses…whatever it is that keeps me at 50-51 minutes ain’t going to change unless I do something drastic.  Want to change?  It would seem that there are centrifugal forces aligned against that particular decision, some perhaps a bit more pernicious than others.  So be ready to fight for the change you want to make.

2. Every time Beth brings me back a seltzer from the supermarket, one of the boys inevitably gets his hands on it before I do.  As Elvis Presley the once and always King of Rock and Roll sang in nearly these exact words: I want to drink the drink, but it is not advisable to do so immediately because the bottle will explode in my face.  In love, but it’s all shook up.

I know what I have to do every single time.  Unscrew the top just a bit, let the bubbles do their thing very slowly until the noise stops, and then open it up.  Everything will be fine.  I’ve done it enough times to know this.

And yet, nearly every single time I unscrew the top again before the fizz has stopped its magic dance.  Semi-serious explosion, pants that look like accidents do happen, etc.  Why did I do it?  Just because.  Sometimes it’s impatience, I suppose, but more often than not, it’s just because.

Things that work just fine in your training?   Don’t do anything to them just because.