Things I like now that I used to hate

Looking back over the past six or seven years, I've had an attitude shift. Part of it was intentional and deliberate, part of it a side-effect. I used to toss out "I hate this" and "I hate that" phrases all the time concerning fitness activities, either to myself or out loud. They were pretty convenient excuses for sloth, although naturally I didn't think of them that way at the time. These included:

• "I hate exercise." Chronic laziness! Now I hate it when I take an unscheduled day off.
• "I hate running." Now I enjoy it. Knowing that I'm making progress with each step helps. Ambitious race goals also help.
  
• "I hate running in the rain/cold/heat." There are still lots of days when it's not my favorite weather, but now it's a very rare day that I'll reschedule a workout due to weather.
• "I especially hate running on the track." Now I choose to run on the track once or twice per week - yes, it sometimes gets boring, but more often I find it relaxing and often inspiring. Certainly very convenient for me and safer than the roads when I run in the dark. I like to monitor my pace and use the track for intervals.
• "I hate swimming laps." Now it's a treat to have a solid hour free to spend in the pool working on my stroke.

My attitude held me back and kept me on the couch. Which comes first? Change the attitude, change the activities, change the fitness, change the body. They all go together.

There is one I'm hanging on to, though. I can't change everything!

• "I hate getting up early." But I do it anyway.