I have to get this off my chest :D
This was amazing!!!!!!!
Recipe coming soon!
When To Push and When To Pull Back
Today on Twitter, I made a plea for help. I was not feeling motivated for my run at all. I felt tired and had a lot of tax stuff left to do and I was in a good swing of things.
My friends on Twitter came to the rescue as always with these awesome replies:
How is that for motivation? :D
So I laced up my shoes, put on my gear, and headed out the door with an optimistic outlook.
However, the run was another story.
I felt tired and my legs felt like lead. It was also very hot out. My head and body just weren’t in the game today!
And that got me thinking.
I started to wonder if sometimes not wanting to workout is actually our body trying to tell us something. I think we often associate wanting to skip a workout with laziness, boredom, and/or lack of discipline, but sometimes it may be none of those things! Sometimes there is a valid reason to skip the workout.
I think my body was trying to tell me that it needed another day of rest. I think the long runs I am doing now require more down time. It makes sense because when my long runs used to be 5 or 6 miles, I needed 1-2 days, so why would I expect my body to bounce back with oodles of energy after 10 miles (full of hills to boot)?
So how do we know how to trust our bodies? How do we know when to push and when to pull back?
On Wednesday, I ‘pushed’ because I didn’t want to do 10 miles but I knew it was just laziness on my part seeing as I hadn’t been for a run in several days. Once I got out there I felt great.
Today felt different.
Instead of pushing, I decided to pull back. I reduced my speed and I ran a couple miles and change instead of my planned 6 miles.
The run:
Distance: 2.91 miles
Duration: 29:29
Pace: 10:09 min/mile
Avg HR: 149 bpm
Max HR: 169 bpm
Today I pulled back and listened to my body. The next time I am feeling like I really want to skip a workout (especially after an intense workout) I am going to consider the possibility that maybe my body is trying to tell me some useful information and it isn’t just a motivation problem.
Today’s question:
How do you know when to push and when to pull back? Do you find it is hard to tell the difference?
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I think it really helps to see the ‘big picture’ each day too. One day or one week isn’t going to make or break anything. I figure as long as I got my long run in, the rest is just cardio training anyways right? lol
Awww, I love the twitter community, and social media community in general :D
I think you’re right about listening to our bodies. So many of us have such structured plans, that we only take a rest day when scheduled, instead of allowing our bodies to tell us when to take a rest day. Good job on doing that!!
That waffle looks sooo good! Now I want a waffle!
Sometimes, you really do just need a day off!
I have a hard time scaling back when I go out planning to do a certain number of miles and then find I am not feeling it. But pushing too hard got me hurt, so I have learned that I need to fight that little voice that tells me I “have to do this” or I “should go so many miles.” It’s not worth it. Good for you for knowing today was a day not to push!
I felt the same way today and yesterday. I attribute it to allergies and that time of the month. I decided to pull back too. I’m still feeling horrible so we’ll see what tomorrow brings! Good for you on listening to your body. It’s so smart!
Steph
I definitely agree with this post. Some days it just feels horrible to run and my feet are just like lead. Those days I usually cut my run a bit shorter, it’s not worth pushing it and being out of action for more days than planned.
Love this!!! I definitely have a tendency to feel guilty about rest days, but ever since I was injured (stress fractured my foot), I go with how I really feel. Yesterday I did NOT want to go to the gym, so I took my dog for a walk with a friend instead. SO much more enjoyable!!
I was SO close to messaging you on twitter about this. I was going to write that maybe being tired or unmotivated was your body’s way of telling you to take a break.
Glad you figured it out for yourself! And, by the way, the new macro lens is making your pics look awesome!
Wow this discussion came at a perfect time. I was beating myself up this afternoon for only doing 15 minutes on the tredmil when honestly my body was screaming for me to stop. I had to listen but after I did I felt disappointed..like I was lazy. Now I am glad that I did listen to it…it was 93 outside and my legs really were sore from my workout yesterday..so my body was right all along. Sadly often our minds ignore our bodies pleas.
Maggie
I totally hear you about having to pull back. It sucks, but sometimes our bodies need more rest than we think. I ran my first 5mile run with hills a few days ago & I had to pull back on my running for two days following. I was a little frustrated and disappointed, but I needed to tell myself that sometimes we need to run a little less so we can be stronger for those harder, longer runs. Just think, your next long run, might be your best after taking a little break!
Hi Angela. I am also training for my first half. I totally skipped my run today. It’s the first training run I have missed but I felt just like you, that my body was trying to tell me to take a break. I don’t regret it and don’t think it is going to hurt my training. I will be back in the saddle on Sunday for 6 miles!
I can remember a few instances in the past where I did end up taking a day off when feeling unmotivated and my body thanked me for it! I agree that our body’s definitely have a way of telling us what they need.
It’s very hard to tell the difference sometimes. I have to be rational and realize when I’m fooling myself. I think we do absolutely need rest days. But, there are times when we are just not motivated and use the rest thing as an excuse.
I spend SO much time trying to determine the difference between feeling lazy and too tired. I think I’m starting to understand it better though. Often times, when I’m too tired, I get the same lead feeling in my limbs and feel a little dizzy. Even just doing my normal daily activities seem like too much for me. If I have the time, I’ll take a nap, have a snack, then re-evaluate.
When I’m too lazy to workout, I realize it’s just because I don’t feel like doing whatever activity I have planned. So I swap it out with something else. If I planned on going for a bike ride, but am feeling too lazy to go. I’ll go to the gym for some fun elliptical and weight work instead. Sometimes any kind of activity is better than none, other times no activity is the best answer! :P
Have you every thought of having an “Eat with me for a week” gig on your blog? Provide a weeks’ menu/shopping list of a typical week of your food ahead of time so we can shop and then we for a week we can all eat the way you do? It might be tricky, but if you make the week’s menu mostly whole foods I’d do it in a heart beat. Just an idea I had as I scrolled through the amazing pictures of your food. I’m still a bit trapped in a “calorie-counting” world, myself, so I’m fascinated by your story and your style of eating eating.
Last Saturday it as raining and I did not feel like going out in the wet and wind for 4 miles – but the other reason was I just felt stiff and crackly. So I let it slide and just did the long run the next day. You
are absolutely right about needing to take a break and listening to your body when it doesn’t really feel up for it.
Great discussion!
I totally believe in listening to my body…sometimes we are so goal-oriented that we push through when our body is telling us to take a break.
It is definitely harder when you’re training for a race, and you feel the need to get the mileage in…but general – I try to give what my body can do at the time.
Great post!
I’m still learning to listen to my body but to also push myself beyond the doubt and the laziness but it sounds like you are really in tune.
I have SUCH a hard time deciding whether I actually need a day off or whether its just laziness. My runs have been very very hard this week because I haven’t been sleeping well and my body has been resisting a cold that’s been floating around my apartment.
YUM! I just made some healthy Whole Wheat Oaty Waffles this weekend and posted about them. I’m wondering what your recipe is!