Every training schedule includes at least 1 rest day per week. It's necessary. Your body needs a complete day off to recover, to rejuvenate, to prevent injury, even (sometimes) to prevent burnout. But like most runners, rest days just make me feel lazy.
Today wasn't supposed to be a rest day. I have been following my triathlon training schedule pretty consistently for the past 2 weeks, even adding in some extra strength training with pilates and a body pump class at the new gym I joined, and today (Happy Independence Day, America!), the gym is closed thus forcing me to forgo my scheduled half hour swim. I could have done it yesterday, planned to do it yesterday, in anticipation of this, and yet I had no desire to swim and bike yesterday. None. I settled for the regularly scheduled run instead.
And this morning, as I sip my coffee, spending some quiet time in prayer before heading out to worship, my mind keeps wandering to the fact that I shouldn't be resting today. And yet, I know that this is exactly what my body needs. That perhaps yesterday's lack of desire to swim and today's forced barrier to swimming are merely reminders that the body does indeed need rest. (or just a reminder of how much I hate swimming laps! ha!).
Since joining my new gym (needed a pool for this whole triathlon thing), I have upped my exercise routine a lot. No longer just a cardio girl, I have dedicated myself to pilates and other strength training workouts. My body is wonderfully sore and feels great. I also know that in order not to risk injury, I need to let it rest, and I have not let it fully rest in 7 days. Even God took a breather on Day 7 ;)
And so, here I am, preparing for my day, struggling with that challenge that faces all runners (all athletes I imagine) and writing about it so that maybe I can process it more healthily :) Days of rest are good. They allow our bodies to take a breather, to get some down time, to recover from the stress of pounding the pavement or contracting those abs. We all need days of rest, from a lot of things--from work, from our daily routines, from the stress that comes with housework, paying bills, looming deadlines. Even when we are doing healthy things for our bodies and our minds, we still need to take a break--and those rest breaks are just as healthy as the physical and mental benefits we get from our workouts.
I think I just need to hop on here and write this to wrap my own head around it. I want to embrace today's rest day and enjoy the day as it unfolds. It's a gorgeous day that will be filled with all that fun that comes with celebrating the 4th.
So, in honor of today, I will rest...and not feel guilty about it :)
Happy trails!
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