I forget that I don’t have super powers. Sure, it’s good to push yourself, but sometimes a person’s body just needs a break. I think I'’ve hit that point.
For the past few months I'’ve been doing some hardcore half marathon training and now that I'’m done with that event I have been thinking of what to jump into next--—there’s the 30 Day Shred, or I could be a triathlete, or I could just keep on trucking and go for a full marathon (which I plan to do. Portland Marathon, October 4, 2009. I am so there). I find motivation in setting goals for myself.
Monday evening I decided it was perfectly logical to run four miles. I'’m pretty sure that was a bad idea after having run a half marathon just two days prior. My legs were screaming at me the next morning. Also on Monday, I started the 30 Day Shred at level one. Sadly, I did not want to cry after completing the level one workout so Tuesday I moved on to level two: —much more to my liking, as this horrible thing called a plank jack made me want to punch myself in the face. That'’s just how I like to feel when I’m working out.
The problem is that I’ am fatigued. My legs are unhappy. I know that exercise does make a person feel pain, but that'’s the good pain and the kind of pain that I strive for. This is “"post-half marathon and I’'m doing too much"” pain. The kind of pain that leads to injury and suffering. Before all of you 30 Day Shred enthusiasts tell me that I’'m supposed to feel this way, allow me to explain: I haven'’t given my body a day off in quite some time, I have been warding off a cold for a few days, and I’'m pretty sure if you look up the definition of “over training” you would find a picture of me.
Last night I was reading “Runner’s World” at the library while waiting for Shawna to get off work (mainly because I saw that it featured an article on winter running and I wanted to find out if it was a bad idea to do things like run during a torrential downpour) and found an article about recovery time. According to people who know these things, I was supposed to take a break from running for a full week after a half marathon.
Oops. Maybe that’s why I feel like this? So for the next week, I am officially taking it easy. I need to remember this before I start to think that I can fly or walk through walls or anything.
1 comment:
I think that's a very good idea. I was hanging out with some former marathon runners yesterday and I was amazed that one of them quit training two months before the marathon because he had pulled a muscle. He said it wasn't a bad pull, but could have caused serious injury if he'd continued to train and/or decided to do the marathon anyway. I can't imagine running more than five miles, so I admire how in tune others are with their bodies and that they recognize how much is too much.
Post a Comment