I have no problem handing out advice to running friends when they are dealing with injury or illness.
"Take a week off if you need it. In the end, it probably won't hurt your training,but make you stronger. If you don't do it now it might turn into something where you need several weeks to recover from."
Famous words. So easy to say, but so hard to follow!
I have been fighting off a nasty bug for a few weeks. Took an unscheduled rest day last week- by stacking my week early on with high miles...
Then I hit it hard on Sunday.
- Great run.
- God gave me a glorious window to run 17 miles with 12 at my Vdot Marathon pace. I might be paying for it a bit now.
Why?
At some point you just have to ask yourself:
- Will running right now help me toward my goal, or hurt me?
- If I continue trying to push the envelope right now, is it going to be worth it?
Anyhow, I am putting on my blog so I can celebrate my small victory over hard-headedness this week! Celebrate with me!! I am not the same Raina I was a year ago.
If I only finish the week with 22 miles, but feel 100% better, it will be TOTALLY worth it. [Sidenote: this might be a bit of me convincing myself here :) ]
So if you miss me out on the road- Fear Not. I am sleeping in.
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| We took an afternoon trip to the coast Sunday. The weather was BEAUTIFUL and we were all too infectious for church! Photo by Nathan |
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| Budding castle designer. |
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| Slightly bent out of shape he was forbidden to search for hermit crabs in the water.. |
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| Cool kite- wind was not too high that day. Photo by Matthew. |
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| Fort designers, Nathan and Levi |
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| Oops! Not sure how that made it in :) |
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| Someone at the beach has a serious addiction. |
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| We stopped at the Dean Creek elk reserve and Jon snapped this photo. |
Have a great week!
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Is it easy for you to take rest days?
How do you decide when is the right time to take unscheduled time off, or reduce mileage?
So proud of you Raina! Wise! And yes, this is what you would tell me to do if I was sick and having a hard time kicking a bug and not feeling fully recovered after a hard week. You'd tell me (and you have) that taking a full week off won't hurt your fitness level. I listened to you then and I'm glad you're listening to yourself now. :) You will come back stronger for this and be so glad that you were able to BE STILL. BE STILL...I think I wrote a post about this not too long ago and you were part of the inspiration. : ) Get well my friend. Take it easy and enjoy . LOVE your pics. Looks like it was a wonderful day.
ReplyDeleteThanks Amanda. Seriously already trying to figure out if I should run tomorrow after I posted this. Why is it SO hard to take my own advice??
DeleteWhen we learn to let the Lord guide us, so many good things happen. I can see that he blessed you and your family... the photos say a lot!
ReplyDeleteMe in same boat! Letting heel heal 8)
ReplyDeleteA few days of prevention worth a pound of cure..if you want to be crankin' marathons at 70 you have to take care of yourself 8)
Love the beach!
That is good! You are doing the right thing for sure, well done! I don't rest often but always do so when I don't feel right. I think over time we just become wiser. Rest well and have a good week!
ReplyDeleteYes, very wise of you Raina! It WILL pay off. But it's so much easier said than done. Just yesterday I skipped a run--still did XT--the run just never happened. Was going to squeeze it in, but now I'm contemplating the value of that.
ReplyDeleteLovely pics!
I sometimes search for the strength to stop when needed. I tested my knee yesterday; the results were less than favorable. So I "get" to miss yet another workout. Though it is a minor injury - running could make matters more severe. nuts.
ReplyDeleteGreat pics!
I am the queen of not following the advice I would give to other people. You know that. I actually wrote this on an email to A at some point, ha. It is always easier to see things for someone else bc you don't have the subjective element. The thing is, you don't have to make a decision right now about this, for the entire week. Just go day by day. I will tell you that my last setback has really shown me that once you gained fitness it is there. And in one week you lose nothing - you actually come back stronger bc of a mini taper. You know all of this. And you also know how you feel. Two weeks of being sick. Darn bugs!
ReplyDeleteLove the pics. Such a beautiful family! Petru still prefers to pee outside at 6 years old, and I have to drag him into the house even when he tells me "it is only natural to pee outside, mom". Ha!
Such gorgeous pictures! Oh my goodness, I totally hear you... I'm still feeling okay this training cycle, but I always struggle to know if a nagging pain is okay to ignore, or will turn into an injury, and if I should cut back, or continue. Sometimes it feels like such a guessing game, and it is so hard for runners to choose to take a break. Good for you!! That is serious mental toughness. :) Hope you're back at it stronger than ever soon!
ReplyDeleteYou are so smart to listen to yourself! I struggle with this in a do as I say, not as I do sort of way. I hope your week of rest is exactly what you need to feel better.
ReplyDeleteto the Raina I've come to know...deep down you know the answer...way deep down where it's just hard to grab...
ReplyDeleteOnce feeling better, you'll be working in the miles and kicking the up the dust so fast some may actually sight "a dust storm" in your area:)
Calm the body...Still the mind!
BEAUTIFUL BEAUTIFUL family...Take Care~
You are smart and you know what you have to do. Not to rest one week and not to skeep a race, now I don't know if can run again.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful pictures of a wonderful day with the family.
That's awesome that you were able to actually recognize what your body needs. I have a really hard time with taking a rest day. I always feel like I'm going to lose everything I worked for.
ReplyDeleteGood job listening to your body. Why is it so hard to do sometimes? I love the beach pictures with the drift wood. It reminds me of our summer trips to the redwoods. I miss that Pacific Ocean so much! Oh and love the potty break shot!
ReplyDeleteGood job Raina!! I was in the same boat today.. My hamstring has been feeling tighter since the Half and midway into my run yesterday I just kept 'feeling' it more... I had to make the decision to cut the run shorter which was sooo hard. I iced a TON yesterday, and am taking today off and going to play Thursday by ear.. My Chiro calls the bad miles junk miles and that running when something doesn't feel right is also adding junk miles and isn't helping you and will only get you injured. So bravo!! Your body is telling you it needs a rest, time to heal and get stronger, so that next week you will be at it even stronger than before. Prayers for patience of mind and heart..
ReplyDeleteI'm right there with you. I'm on my second day home sick from work with a really nasty cold. It crept up on me gradually--was just sort of low-grade for several days--then yesterday it hit me like a mallet. I ran anyway (5 slow miles). I don't think that made it worse, but I don't think it made it better either. I'm going to take today completely off and try not to lament the lost six miles I was supposed to do.
ReplyDeleteSigh. I do worry that my fitness slips more than it should during these things. But there's no way around it, is there?
Yay for listening to your body! It will only help you later on. Those pictures are absolutely stunning. Great way to spend the weekend!
ReplyDeleteRaina-I will limit my words here for the moment except to let you know I'm really thinking of you today and hope are feeling a little better today! More to say in a much better comment tonight:)
ReplyDeleteGood job! It is SO hard to give ourselves permission to rest, to take a break, to convince ourselves that we don't even need to earn a brake... I hope you feel 100% soon!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great day together at the beach! :)
ReplyDeleteI hear you on this. I'm just coming off of a forced rest week. Forced primarily by schedule, but my body (or rather, my emotions) were definitely telling me that I needed to back off.
I have a hard time figuring out if my body is REALLY telling me that I need a break, or if it's just general whining that will go away once I'm running, but this time was loud and clear. My body felt fine, no hurts, but everything was just too much for a while. Thankfully, life is calming down...just in time for training to pick up. :)
you know us, we rest when needed. it is hard to listen though isn't ? glad you did!
ReplyDeleteWay to listen to your own advice! You are growing and it WILL be worth it! :) Enjoy sleeping in!
ReplyDeleteYou are smart to do this -- I wish I'd taken it easier after that half a few weeks ago -- I'm convinced I wouldn't be where I am if I'd rested probably just one day more. Glad you took what you needed.
ReplyDeleteGood for you listening to your body! It's pretty clear when I need rest and I take it. Risking injury isn't worth it.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I schedule 9-10 workouts a week during tri season then do as many of them as my time and body will allow. I'm happy when I hit 6+.
When i first started in Weight Training then Bodybuilding now Handcyle Racing after nearly 26yrs i have finally listened to my body. I use to always think do more even while i was ill or injured but that would take me 3 steps back so i finally learned we only get 1 BODY so protect and rest at the rights times and it will last you a lifetime. So good job Raina you deserve and need it
ReplyDeleteSmart, smart, smart. And could you have possibly made better use of your downtime?
ReplyDeleteOK-back! OK-yes advice is SO much easier to give someone else....I find when I'm out of sorts physically, I am just a basketcase at times.....all the time. I talk myself into resting and then not resting and I have the hardest time just relaxing. I've run hard through sickness and injury and I've taken extended precautionary rests that maybe were unnecessary just trying to do the right thing....... A truly competitive determined individual like yourself is quite in tune with her body. You would absolutely be fine taking the time off and it would absolutely have NO negative impact on your marathon. You know, when training for my first marathon, I ran 3 races during my training cycle. I fully tapered for EACH one-FULLY-in marathon training! Complete down weeks culminating in a hard race and I often think this was of GREAT benefit to me. I have to agree with AM and the day by day statement though. No need to commit to any time frame, and it's OK to change your mind, your feelings day by day as you adjust to what your body's telling you at that point!
ReplyDeleteI am celebrating with you!!!! I know how determined/hard headed you are!! I'm celebrating that you value yourself as a person who is more than just a runner. I hope you are getting some fabulous refreshing much needed healing sleep and I'm proud of you for taking it!!
I love your pictures! Levi-ha! Maybe when I come and visit we can have a cup of coffee while walking that beach:) Looks like a great day! Love you Raina! Rest up, get strong, get READY!!!
It's definitely good to listen to your body and take the rest that you need. I think I've learned my lesson now as the injury recovery process is much worse than a few days off.
ReplyDeleteGood for you! And great reference points as well!
ReplyDeleteI'm slowly learning to enjoy rest, but obviously need to do more of it!! I keep thinking of how it's going to benefit me, like a sponge soaking up the workouts or something like that. Plus-you get a lot done and get to spend more time with family:)
I love the quote: "what you do when not running is perhaps more important than what you do running".
Love your pictures of the beach, I bet your boys are entertained for hours there with all the fun things to do (well, aside from Nathan who wants to look for crabs - hehe). I'm glad to hear you're holding back this week and letting this cold get out of your system. Sometimes it is hard to listen when we have a big goal out there where we want to do well...it takes a strong person to know when to back off. Rest up and feel better soon!! xo
ReplyDeleteIt's so nice to read this. I don't usually take time off when I'm sick. I just run easier than usual. I am really sick right now though and decided I needed to take today off, and may need to take the rest of the week off too. So, I'm sorry to hear you're sick, but glad to hear I'm not alone...
ReplyDeleteI feel it's one of the most painful decisions a runner/athlete has to make and it just eats at you! But rest is the only way your body can heal and as much as we all hate missig a run, rest is inevitable.
ReplyDeleteIn December when I got really sick John ordered me to take 4 days off!! At first I was freaking out but when I realized how sick I was I had no choice but to listen. Once I was better and tested I sw the benefit of that rest. I realized I got better so much faster than if I had tried to keep running. Smartest thing I did was to listen to him!
ReplyDeleteThe rest really can only have a good impact on your training. Your body needs to have some down time to heal. I have been sick a fee times in this marathon training already and had to take a few days off each time. I am beginning to think that it's gods way of making me rest since he knows I won't do it on my own. Trust your gut instincts. My whole family is deathly sick so I will probably get it soon and need you to remind me of this advice:) xxx
Love your pics!
ReplyDeleteTake good care of yourself. Whenever I push too hard with cold symptoms I get pneumonia! So now I'm a pro at resting. Ha ha!
Barbara
My Running Shortz
Well, I'm super behind on my blog reading but I hope you had a good rest week and recovered from what was ailing you! 10 weeks out from Eugene you have PLENTY of time to recover and get back to the hard workouts and long runs.
ReplyDeleteIn my younger days while training for important races I found it very difficult to take rest days, but when I did, it didn't seem to do me any harm. In fact, considering my results, it probably did me a deal of good. So don't fret, relax and recover. You'll come strong again in the weeks leading to your marathon in Eugene.
ReplyDelete