Reasons Why You Don’t Have to Run Today

If you are one of those people who happened upon this article after launching a search on Google for “why I don’t have to run today” you are in luck. We are here to provide you with ample, rock-solid reasons why you don’t have to, or really shouldn’t,  run today.

After watching this video on the Runner’s World website, I realized that the internet is overpopulated by articles demanding you to you get up off the couch, lace up, man up or giddy up and run. Seriously, try it. Type the words “I don’t want to run today” into Google and see what you find. One website that comes up (not an article, but an entire website) is titled “Shut up and Run”.  How insensitive.  Not even Google is gentle about your total lack of desire/motivation/confidence/physical energy (be it temporarily) to go for a run, while I bet most all of those articles were written by people who experienced a day (or year) when they didn’t feel like running.  At all.  But, since they didn’t know any better, they went on and ran anyway.  Pfft.  Silly.

The girls Ali and Hannah provide a pretty decent list of seven legit reasons for you to skip a run. Finally, somebody validates the detrimental consequences of running after a fresh pedicure. We girls know that nail polish takes ages to dry, glittery polish even longer, so stuffing your shiny, freshly painted toes into running shoes is not a good idea. Rather skip a run or three (to be sure) this week than risk having to waste time and money later to return for a touch-up and miss who knows how many runs. It’s just not worth it.

Here are a few more goods and valid reasons why you need to consider not running today. You could, of course, ignore the signs and good advise and run anyway, but that’s then entirely on you.

1. Save water

You live in a drought-stricken country where water saving measures have been implemented, or you care enough about our planet. Since you have already taken a shower before work this morning, your allocated water quota is depleted for the day, and nobody expects you to go to bed stinky. Make yourself at home on the couch and only make slow, small movements to avoid working up a sweat. Consider putting off that run until after the rainy season.

2. Too cold

You live in the northern hemisphere, and it is Winter. Summer was made for running, Winter for sleeping. With Spring and Fall temperatures sometimes a little bit iffy, running during those months are entirely optional.

3. Too hot

You live in Africa or Florida, and it is Summer. Nobody runs in Summer. Winter was made for running, and if Spring and Fall are still too hot, those months can be legitimately skipped too.

4. It looks like rain

Nobody runs in the rain.

5. It rained

See number 4.  Save your shoes.

6. Photo ops

There is that social function later. Lots of group selfies will be taken and blasted across social media. By running now, you may risk standing out as the shiny, red face among your friends. Instead run again next week, or after all the Christmas/Easter/Valentines/birthdays social events have passed, and the required photos have all been taken and posted. Running will still be there next week, pictures last forever.

7. Nothing to wear

All your nice running clothes are in the laundry, and all you are left with are some mismatched black tops and tights. Don’t fool yourself into thinking black is black, lycra comes in 14 shades of black, and everyone will notice. Unless you want to stay indoors and do a stint on (your own private) treadmill, please do the public a favor and skip the run.

8. Save your shoes

Running shoes don’t come cheap, and we all know they have limited mileage. Since running a race in new shoes is a big no-no, rather avoid running if your calculations show you might go over the allowed mileage before next month’s race.

9. Your running buddy should rest

Your running buddy has been working long hours this week and needs more sleep, but you suspect he is too proud to cancel on you. Be a doll and go ahead and cancel, so he doesn’t have to feel bad. You’ll both enjoy your runs so much more once he is rested.

10. Already blow dried your hair

Enough said.

11. Expecting a call 

Similar to speaking on the phone while using the bathroom, your caller WILL notice your breathless panting no matter how hard you try to suppress it. Since nobody likes wheezing gasps in their ear, instead of don’t go for that run if the call is essential.

12. Coming down with something

In the video, one of the girls mentions that she often suspects to have appendicitis. Although she is not entirely sure where her appendix sits, she’d rather err on the safe side, so she skips the run. You also feel a bit “out of it”? Run your hand across your forehead. If it feels a bit warm, there is a possibility that you are coming down with something. It might be appendicitis. It might be something else.  Who knows. Unless you are a medical doctor, don’t run before you are feeling 100% or had it checked out.

13. Type A personality

If you aren’t convinced by any of the excellent advice above, the internet bears a load of articles with “less-is-more” training advice. Studies have shown that you can run your best marathon with only three days of running a week.

If you haven’t found anything that works for you in this list, then I have nothing for you, my friend. It looks like you’ll have to go for that run. If you are still reading this, I suspect you may have thought you don’t have to run today, no matter how hard we tried to convince you otherwise. Typical runner, stubborn and know-it-all. So enjoy that run, we know you will!