The Matter of New Shoes Motivation
The purchase has been made, the phase has begun, and the training plan is waiting for the shoes to finish arriving.
The shoes arrive on a Tuesday.
They are placed on the floor next to the bed where they can be seen from the pillow. This is not decorative. It is intentional. The visibility of the shoes is supposed to function as a commitment device, and for the first three days, it does.
Wednesday: The shoes are worn for a 4.2km run. The distance is logged. The pace is reviewed twice. A new training plan is researched and downloaded. The plan is twelve weeks long.
Thursday: Rest day. The shoes are still visible from the pillow.
Friday: The training plan recommends an easy 30-minute run. The run does not occur because Friday runs conflict with a standing obligation that existed before the shoes. The plan is reviewed. The plan has a notes section. A note is added.
New exercise shoes create a temporary belief that consistency has already become more likely.
Saturday: The run happens. It is longer than recommended because the missed Friday run shifted the week's accounting.
Sunday: The person feels the beginning of what might be shin soreness. Ice is applied. The training plan is reviewed again. The plan includes a section on injury management.
The shoes are still next to the bed.
Monday: Rest. The shin does not hurt. The rest was precautionary.
Tuesday, one week after arrival: The shoes have been worn three times in seven days. The training plan considers this an acceptable start. The training plan also notes that weeks two and three require more consistency.
If new shoes motivation creates guilt, the guilt may be treated as evidence of commitment.
The guilt is present. The plan is intact. The shoes have accumulated 8.7km.
By week six, the training plan will be modified. By week ten, the plan will be adapted to reflect "current scheduling realities." The shoes will develop a character. The box will be broken down and recycled.
A new pair will be purchased before the end of Q1.
The purchase will mark the beginning of a new phase.
The shoes arrive on a Tuesday.