The cautionary whale

Do you ever wake up totally not motivated to work out? Like, even the thought of a one-mile walk is enough to make you want a nap?

Yeah, that was me this morning.

Of course, most people aren’t motivated to work out at 2:30 a.m. – the time when I woke up. Nor are they excited to do anything at 3:30, when I headed to the couch and decided to watch “Juno.” And while I did manage to fall asleep for about an hour, hour and a half, I decided that I could skip a walk today. Or at least this morning.

Of course, the absence of a workout doesn’t mean I wasn’t thinking about it. In fact, in my sleep-deprived delirium, I gathered quite a few strategies from my gal, Juno.

1. Proper gear is essential to running. Sweat bands, wrist bands and knee-high socks are not only fashionable but functional. Even Runners World says so.

2. It’s important to fuel before a run. Forget whole wheat toast with PB&B – the Hot Pocket is where it’s at!

3. Don’t feel limited to pasta when it comes to carb loading. Fries, burgers and Jell-O are also good sources of simple carbohydrates.

4. Slurpies are not only tasty but an excellent source of hydration. Seriously, didn’t you read this month’s Runners World. A snow cone can help improve endurance by 20 percent because of its sugar-cool factor combination.

5. End a race with a kiss. Or by giving the middle finger to that 70-year-old guy who didn’t think it was cool to be out ran by a chick and sprinted to the end, promptly giving himself a heart attack. It’s your pick.