Mindfullness


Quick question before blogging.. What happened to spell check on this new Blogger editer???

Mindfullness:

It may take me a while sometimes but eventually I DO get it.  I finally GOT it this week. I finally GOT that I really DO need more time off  now that I'm an old fart. 

I  stupidly THOUGHT that I would cruise through my recovery after Pumpkinman so I planned 3 extra races to round off the season. That, come to find out,  was a mistake.  I will finish my Tufts 10k on Monday and that will be it for a while.

Only two weeks after feeling ggggggggggggggreat, I feel RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRROTTEN.

Thankfully it only took me THREE DAYS of agonizing over missed workouts to realize that it's time for a LOOOOONG break from training. It's time to put away the schedule and just enjoy all that life has to offer. No pressure.  Run, swim and bike as I feel.

You know the story..  Fighting off negativce thoughts, skipping workouts, tired, sad.. All the signs were there this week. Of course I fought it and didn't want to listen to my body.  There's no way to avoid that phase for me. I never give in easily.  I just don't learn quickly.

But alas.. I have finally figured it out.   All of my moodiness caught up to me and BAM... I'm done. I GET it.   This has happened to me before. So I KNOW it is temporary.  This time, though, I am taking it seriously and stopping all racing for a good two months. I'll stay in shape but no racing.

My coach is totally on board with me and I believe this is necessary.  After all I AM in my 40's .. yaaaahooo.. :))... Isn't life GRAND!

Comments

GetBackJoJo said…
Yes, I know exactly what you're saying. Your body just KNOWS when it's time for a break. It can be frustrating because sometimes, on paper, it doesn't appear that we should need a break... but the body always knows...Yes, we aren't spring chickens anymore!! haha!
I have 1.5 weeks and then I'm resting too! woot!~xo
10/8/09, 9:35 AM
dogs turn left said…
Time off?? Nooo!
10/8/09, 3:44 PM
Linda said…
I always have trouble listening to my body - sounds like a good plan, though - could there be yoga and Mexican food in your future? ;)

Good luck at Tufts and enjoy your well-deserved break!
10/9/09, 7:45 AM
Speed Racer said…
Hmmm... I have a feeling I'm going to write this post myself someday, when I finally get it. Anyway, I hope that you get all the rest and rejuvenation you need and that you're ready to rumble in January when all the fun running races start up again.

(Just re: your comment on my blog a couple of weeks–or is it months now?–ago. I'm making the move away from triathlon, which I'm not particularly good at, to cycling which I think I have some talent at. Running really ruins cycling legs. Maybe I'll stay in the triathlon scene and do aquabikes, but running I can live without).
10/13/09, 3:51 PM
Michelle said…
I hear you Melissa! I typically have an end of season melt-down, where I act like a tantrumy toddler. This year, my coach and I anticipated it, and gave me a REALLY long break - it was AMAZING!!!!!!! It felt really weird taking so much time off, but once I totally accepted it, it was actually quite glorious. It feels good to be starting back again, and I'm jazzed about ramping it up over the coming weeks. Rest is good, and a good long rest is REALLY good when it's truly needed. And you need it! I don't think it's age related (at least not completely). We beat the crap out of ourselves day in and day out for months on end. I don't care if you are 21 or 41 - after a while, the mind and bod need some downtime. One might not accept that fact (cough, Claire, cough), but it's needed just the same. Or, that's just me and my old self in denial. :)
10/16/09, 3:01 PM
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