Just payin' my dues!

Tonight I did not want to run! I've been to a funeral today and stood frozen at a graveside then I went to the wake and stuffed myself with sandwiches. Not ideal marathon nutrition! By the time I got home it was dark and cold and threatening to rain ... and I had to go for a training run. Don't you just hate these nights? Well I got changed and off I went and just did it - with a bit of a stitch to start with. Not very fast but I still did it - a few more miles in my legs.
I remember talking to a friend a couple of years ago. He's a professional tennis player and when I told him about forcing my self to run on a night when I really didn't want to, he said, "These are the dues nights." (I thought he said, "These are the Jews nights" so his comment didn't make a lot of sense and sounded a bit racist to be honest. But then he explained what he meant.)
These are the nights when you put in the good, honest effort and they really pay dividends over time. You just pay your dues and the marathon race rewards you!
Maybe on a night when you don't feel like it you can just motivate yourself by reminding yourself that its just a 'dues night'. It always helps me now.

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