Sorry for the little blogging break, all 8 readers I have!
I've been tackling midterms, traveling from college to home, traveling from home to see family, contracting some persistent stomach bug, and pointedly trying to ignore it and go on with my training sched.
BTW that's a bad idea.
On to my point for the day: rest is a good idea sometimes and I suck at it. I take one "rest" day a week: after doing a long run. Sometimes this rest day turns into a yoga/core/torturing myself with a foam roller and muscle stick day. That and a long walk.
Bottom line: I really like to be physically active and move around and I don't like the idea that I'm still eating like a runner on days that I'm NOT EVEN RUNNING.
So what happens when we never rest, train too hard (as in two-a-days coming back from an injury, amping miles up in a week's time, or adding in tempo and sprint workouts every.single.day.) and don't let ourselves recover?
Sounds fun, right?
While I'm totally pumped every day to run (no mental burnout here!) I know that I'm dehydrated, can't sleep, my mile splits are slooooow this week, I'm losing weight (stomach bug...), and I got sick!
So like any smart kinesiology major, I decided to head out on a run with the stomach bug. Thought it was gone, went to cycle. Next day, tried to do a tempo run in 20mph winds. Thursday- decided I was fine, went to cycle, thought I was ALSO going to do 3 miles, got on a treadmill, rethought that. Friday I was "smart" and only worked out once.
Today was a victory in the Ellie vs. Stomach Bug fight because I got one pretty legit meal down (holla to Ethiopian food) and also MY LONG RUN HAPPENED! I didn't think I'd be able to make it 6 miles so I took it to the treadmill (so I could quit) but I didn't!
It's really hard (basically impossible) to ease back and skip workouts or training sessions when you're sick or your body needs a rest.
Every run this week, until today, was cut short. I have to make it my mantra that (sometimes, when injured or legit-ly sick) it's OK to skip a run, have a slow mile, walk, or lounge on the couch. The behaviors I frown upon as lazy and deadly are the rest our bodies need sometimes!
It's ok to rest!
Are you good about taking your rest days, or do they ever turn into extra running days?
Have you ever tried to train through injury or sickness?
I've been tackling midterms, traveling from college to home, traveling from home to see family, contracting some persistent stomach bug, and pointedly trying to ignore it and go on with my training sched.
BTW that's a bad idea.
On to my point for the day: rest is a good idea sometimes and I suck at it. I take one "rest" day a week: after doing a long run. Sometimes this rest day turns into a yoga/core/torturing myself with a foam roller and muscle stick day. That and a long walk.
Bottom line: I really like to be physically active and move around and I don't like the idea that I'm still eating like a runner on days that I'm NOT EVEN RUNNING.
So what happens when we never rest, train too hard (as in two-a-days coming back from an injury, amping miles up in a week's time, or adding in tempo and sprint workouts every.single.day.) and don't let ourselves recover?
- Overuse injuries
- Mental burnout
- Dehydration and weight loss
- Disrupted sleep pattern
- Crankiness
- Lame workouts
- Illness and weakened immunity
(Info from Runners World)
Sounds fun, right?
While I'm totally pumped every day to run (no mental burnout here!) I know that I'm dehydrated, can't sleep, my mile splits are slooooow this week, I'm losing weight (stomach bug...), and I got sick!
So like any smart kinesiology major, I decided to head out on a run with the stomach bug. Thought it was gone, went to cycle. Next day, tried to do a tempo run in 20mph winds. Thursday- decided I was fine, went to cycle, thought I was ALSO going to do 3 miles, got on a treadmill, rethought that. Friday I was "smart" and only worked out once.
Today was a victory in the Ellie vs. Stomach Bug fight because I got one pretty legit meal down (holla to Ethiopian food) and also MY LONG RUN HAPPENED! I didn't think I'd be able to make it 6 miles so I took it to the treadmill (so I could quit) but I didn't!
It's really hard (basically impossible) to ease back and skip workouts or training sessions when you're sick or your body needs a rest.
Every run this week, until today, was cut short. I have to make it my mantra that (sometimes, when injured or legit-ly sick) it's OK to skip a run, have a slow mile, walk, or lounge on the couch. The behaviors I frown upon as lazy and deadly are the rest our bodies need sometimes!
It's ok to rest!
Are you good about taking your rest days, or do they ever turn into extra running days?
Have you ever tried to train through injury or sickness?