Even though Saturday was a beautiful day, I just didn't feel like going for a run. So I decided to enjoy the sunny temperatures with a bike ride around both lakes.

I quickly felt guilty as I zoomed past runners. Even a leisurely pace on a bike is so much faster than putting one foot in front of the other for a run. It didn't seem fair to those slowly chugging along that I took an easier route.

That's just silly, but for some reason I'd decided that a bike ride wasn't as good as going for a run.

Part of the problem with sticking to any kind of fitness plan is we get all crazy, making up impossible to follow rules as we go along. An all or nothing attitude isn't the best way to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

I'm definitely guilty of setting up rules that don't lead to success. To me, the bike ride seemed like taking the easy way out. In reality, it was a great workout both mentally and physically. It gave me the variety I needed to be pumped about going for a long run Sunday.

I've also recently discovered that while I prefer working out in the morning, that doesn't mean I should skip a run just because I didn't get up early enough to log a few miles.

It can happen while running too. You plan to go for a long run Wednesday. You either don't make time for it or can't muster up the motivation for multiple miles so you skip running completely. Why? Wouldn't it be better to do something, whether it's a quick mile or two for speed or going for a walk?

That's not to say we shouldn't set goals for ourselves. But we need to make room for being human — and for bike rides.

What are your "rules" and how do you feel about breaking them?