Cognitive Resistance | Why Your Brain Tries to Talk You Out of Running

You set your alarm the night before.
You laid out your kit.
You told yourself, I’ll run first thing.

Then morning comes. And there you are — in bed — staring at the ceiling.
And suddenly, your mind becomes wildly creative.

“You didn’t sleep that well. You need recovery.”
“You’ve been training hard — a rest day is probably smarter.”
“It’s cold.”
“It’s not like you’re training for anything.”
“You can go later.”

If this sounds familiar — good.
You're not lazy. You're human.

And your brain?
It’s not broken — it’s doing exactly what it was built to do.

The Brain’s Real Job

Your brain's primary function isn't to push you forward — it's to keep you safe.
It evolved to avoid unnecessary effort, conserve energy, and seek comfort.
Back when resources were scarce and threats were everywhere, that made sense.
Today? It shows up as excuses.

Your modern-day "threat" is a 10K tempo.
And your brain reacts to that like it’s a lion in the tall grass.

It sees discomfort and says:
“No thanks. Let’s stay where it’s warm.”

But here’s the thing:
That reaction doesn’t mean you shouldn’t run.
It just means there’s resistance. And resistance is a sign that something worthwhile is on the other side.

The Art of Justifying Inaction

The brain is brilliant at creating believable reasons not to act.
Not because you're lazy — but because you're rational.

It knows what to say to keep you still:

“The weather’s not ideal.”
“You’ll have a better run later in the day.”
“You haven’t eaten yet — not ideal to go now.”

Each of these has just enough truth to make it feel legitimate.
But most of the time?
It’s not strategy — it’s sabotage disguised as self-care.

So what do you do with that?

You don’t need to silence the excuses.
You just need to act anyway.

You don’t need perfect conditions.
You need movement.

The first step doesn’t need to feel good.
It just needs to happen.

Because once you move, the resistance fades.
And the voice that was trying to hold you back?
It quiets down once it realises you’re going anyway.

The Run Is Always Harder Before It Starts

We’ve all felt it:
The run you almost skipped that turned into the best one of the week.
The low-energy morning that became a clear-headed day.
The session you didn’t want to do — but were proud you showed up for.

That’s what’s waiting beyond the excuses.
Not perfection. Just proof that you’re capable of more than your first thought wants to admit.

At Prerun, we believe in that first step.
In what happens when you show up — not because it’s easy, but because it’s worth it.

We’re not here for the hype.
We’re here for the moment you lace up anyway.

Because discipline isn’t about shutting off the voice that tells you not to run —
It’s about moving through it, and proving to yourself that you’re not controlled by it.

So next time your mind gives you a dozen reasons not to go…
Smile.
That’s your cue.

You're right on time.