Workout woes :p - opinions appreciated

gracieabem

Ok, workout woes is a bit dramatic, but it is something that I have struggled with over the last couple of months.

This is my current exercise schedule

Gym resistance training plus cardio intervals (about 25 minute cardio, 35 minutes strength) on three days of the week
Running around 25 minutes (every week I'm adding a little more) on three days of the week
Walking the dogs for half an hour short fast bursts, maybe 5 times per week.
Walking the dogs for an hour at a very slow leisurely pace probably 4 times a week.

My confession is that I hate the gym. It's not the gym, it's nice. The staff are friendly and I like the equipment. The hours are good. I just don't enjoy the gym work. At all.

I have done it since October and the lovely staff change my program for me every 3 months. I'm due to change again soon. I'm thinking of asking for a strength program that I can get away with doing only two days a week. Just because I really hate going to the gym. Will that make an overall difference in my progress? Well, I'm sure it will but how much does it really matter?

I LOVE my running. Ok, maybe not for the first 10 minutes... I am cursing to myself and wondering why I'm bothering and seriously weighing up the pros and cons of stopping lol. But after that mind game, I love it. My body seems to like it. It hurts for the last couple of minutes but it's so rewarding at the end. This is my favourite physical activity and I think about it when I'm not doing it. To me, that means that I am actually somewhat passionate about it.

The gym - well I spend the last part of the week thinking about whether to bother to go to my final workout. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. I appreciate that it is the strength that has helped me so much to loose weight. So maybe I just need to suck it up and continue on with three days. The thing is, the first two days are fine. I go and I don't have much of an inner dialogue about it, I just do it. It's the third one that I struggle with.

I couldn't run in the gym, the 5 minute intervals I do are boring enough as it is. Running in the open I don't even need music, just my thoughts and the fresh air.

Sigh. Any suggestions or practical advice? How important is that third workout? Could I skip it and do something else?