Less (but more) and Rest

Anyone know where my motivation is today?  It's hiding somewhere.  So far today I've talked myself out of my early morning workout and after sleeping in for an extra 2.5 hours I've managed to make it from my bed to the computer with a slight pit stop at the coffee maker.  I really, REALLY like the idea of not leaving my house at all today.  That won't happen though.  Baby girl has swim lessons in an hour and that is when I will sneak in my run.

Monday is my easy run or rest day, as I call it, where I only run 2 miles and it's indoors on a treadmill.  I also bike 10 miles, take a Spartacus class and swim 1/2 miles.  It's only a rest/easy day in terms of running, not anything else.  The last few weeks I've stuck to this idea just because mentally it's what I've planned on.  Less run doesn't mean I need to "slack" in fitness all together.  I need to make up for that run somewhere else.  I still need to push.  Today though I think I really do need to cut back, give myself some well earned slack.  I have been pushing rather hard since the beginning of the year.  That shows in my mileage.  As of yesterday I've logged 105 miles for 2013.  It's not unusual that I've hit the 100 mile mark, but not this early in the month.  I still have 11 days left!!

Yesterday I was really beginning to feel the aches and pains of my push.  Yes, it's not unusual that I have these on a regular basis.  I noticed on Saturday that I was moving a lot slower.  Someone even asked if I was hurt because while climbing out of my friends SUV I was moving so slow and stepping so gingerly.   That was Saturday, then I woke up early on Sunday and went out into a -5 windchill and ran 8 miles.  Most of that run was hard and when I was done things definitely were aching.  Not just a little, a lot and no matter how much I stretched and massaged it it kept aching.  I knew that if not taken care of I was heading for an injury.  It took a lot of ibuprofen, several hours of massaging (I have a machine that I use) and being in bed since 7 p.m. last night and I woke up with my legs feeling so much better.  It would have been ok for me to get up early and go to Y for my regular workout, I would have survived.  But I talked myself into more rest than usual and went back to sleep and deciding on a real rest day (2 mile only run).  I'll be honest, I have an ulterior motive.  I want to run and push hard the rest of this week before we leave on vacation.  I would not be able to do that if I don't take these extra steps of rest & recovery now.

I realize I probably sound coo coo for cocoa puffs by saying things like "real rest day" then proceeding to tell you that I will run 2 miles.  For me that IS really resting.  Once I hit that treadmill, I guarantee you that I will want to do more.  My run will get going and I'll start to feel great.  I've already been thinking that I should bike too.  That is so different from running, what's it going to hurt?!?!  Since I've slept in, sat here too long on the computer I've already sealed the deal though.  Doing much more than 2 miles will take away from my family and my productivity for the day. So it's like I sabotaged my workout, but it is really the best thing for me.  For today.  Tomorrow....nope, back at it!  In the mean time I have Baby Girl to get to swim lessons and then a day full of getting ready for Flordia!!!!

I hope your Monday is great!  Take some rest if you really, REALLY need and/or want it.  We all need it from time to time.  It looks different for everyone.  Take a moment to evaluate yourself.  It's still early in the year.  The idea to keep pushing and going hard for those yearly goals is strong, but take stock and do what you need to!!