Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Back Off


Running tip: In the midst of a tough training schedule, give yourself a break. Every 4th or 5th week make sure you decrease workout by at least 30%. Your body needs a sigh of relief once in a while (source: Runreviews.com)

It’s a snow day here. Kids and Ken are home. Yes, I know. In the middle of dang March. I should not be surprised. March and April are huge snow months in Colorado. It cracks me up how people who have lived here forever act all shocked when it snows during the spring. Dude, it snows every single year like this.

What I was not prepared for was that the satellite went out. That does not happen every spring. I missed "The Biggest Loser" and "American Idol." It was a sad night. I found myself doing weird things like reading, paying attention to my family and going to bed early. I contemplated going to Sears and watching it on their showroom TVs with my designer Snuggi and glass of wine. Now that's white trash.

I am glad I got in my ten mile run yesterday before the white stuff hit. Let’s just say running a ten mile run at marathon pace (8:40, but I only managed 8:49) two days after a 20 mile run stunk. Literally. More bathrooms issues during that run, too, but I’ll spare you. I usually don’t spare you, but I will today because the blog world can only take so much poop talk. Suffice it to say it was a replay of Sunday’s run(s) minus 10 miles. Here's me heading out. I wore my Shut Up and Run shirt hoping it would give me inspiration. It didn't. I wore it backwards with the logo on the front. I figured no one would be slower than me and see the back.


Today was to be speed work, but I’m backing off. My body is telling me with every cell of its being that I should not run today. And I am listening. Even though my training schedule says get the hell out there, I am ignoring it. I am convinced what got me the stress fracture was pushing too hard. But this is what goes on in my head:

Soft/yoga/holistic/calm/accepting voice: Your legs hurt, your intestines are revolting, you are fatigued. Take some time off. If you don’t meet your mileage for the week, no biggie.

Hard ass/competitive/critical/fearful voice: You’ve got to get the mileage in or you won’t do well in the marathon. Your body is supposed to hurt. Push harder. Don’t be such a wimp. You’ll be in Mexico next week and you won’t train as hard.

Do you have two sides in your head telling you what to do? Who do you listen to? Do you ever back off from what your training schedule says, or do you plow ahead regardless?

Drinking: Kirkland coffee brewed by Starbucks.

42 comments:

  1. Being from South Africa we obviously don't get things like snow days...or snow for that matter. Still strange to me reading about all the snow. I love your blog shirt.

    ReplyDelete
  2. You gotta love spring snow. I think we have close to a foot already!

    Sometimes I have two sides telling me what to do. Normally, I go with the one telling me to take it easy b/c I just don't like to be injured or risk getting injured. Although I follow a training schedule, I never follow it exactly. Life, kids, work, fatigue, sleep, etc. are part of the mix and sometimes they come before my training, and that's o-kay with me.

    p.s. sorry about your ongoing GI issues. I think it's good that you're taking some time off and I think your body will probably think so too! :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. I get those voices in my head all the time...I have named them the "Running Is Stupid Committee"

    ReplyDelete
  4. I have two sides that I listen to, but sometimes the easy side wins :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Yup, I have a voice and it speaks from my knee/IT band. I wish it would shut up.

    ReplyDelete
  6. mercy! The denver news kills me w/ all the "OH MY GOD ITS SNOWING" coverage. the snow day stuff confuses me..I'm from Utah and Salt Lake NEVER has snow days. Nothing closes down ever and Denver acts like it never snows there...I don't get it. Enjoy your rest day!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Yes....I deal with the same thing...my internal struggle of strong vs. stupid. I have found that the more years experience I have running, the better I am at figuring out which voice I need to be listening to.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I usually listen to the Beer Side of my head. Probably never a wise choice, but what are you going to do.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Always have those two voices. Most of the time, I am old enough (ok, I always am; let's say mature enough) to listen to the back off voice. It really does pay and you are being smart!!

    ReplyDelete
  10. My voices tell me to sit down and eat until I have it figured out!
    Seriously though I try and give it 15 minutes and if I am still not feeling it I stop til the next day.
    Wondering if we will get any spring snow here.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I am doing zero anything right now pretty much and yet, I still find myself writing out schedules. Yes, for workouts I cannot do.

    Type A much??

    ReplyDelete
  12. I know, right? Like anyone should be surprised it does this IN MARCH. We only have two seasons in Colorado... winter and non-winter.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Whistler gets snow in March/April too! Everyone always switches snow tires over to all-season, and then BAM! Snow city. Every year. Without fail. One last blast before Spring.

    The last time I didn't listen to my body I ended up with a stress fracture too. 12 weeks of NO RUNNING whatsoever.

    Listen to the internal yogi. And if you don't train as hard in Mexico that's okay too. Cause no one wants to do the poop dance when it involves Mexico (questionable food practices, water, etc). :-)

    Maybe two weeks of easy livin' is called for right now. Maybe THAT is what will make all the difference.

    ReplyDelete
  14. i usually just plow right through with my workouts. i'm trying to be more mindful as i'm dealing with a cranky ankle/shin right now and it is HARD.

    bummer your satellite went out. but that's what online television is for i guess hah!

    ReplyDelete
  15. I have arguments with myself all the time. My training schedule versus shin splints needing a rest is pretty much a daily dilemma. It's a toss up which side wins. :/

    ReplyDelete
  16. I used to never back off and after getting two horrible bouts of shin splints that caused me stop running for months at a time I finally realized that voice is there for a reason, it's your BRAIN speaking to you. It's true when they say you'll know when you're doing too much. The hard part is listening and reacting to that knowledge.

    YOu're doing the right thing!

    ReplyDelete
  17. I always have two sides playing against each other in my head... it doesn't matter what's going on! lol. Way to listen to your body though!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Love the blog shirt. I was thinking your "shut up and run" ID would make a great shirt when I created my apple crumbles store on cafepress.

    As for the two little voices - yes. But if I don't listen to the one that says "go for it" I end up riddled with guilt so I go for it. Hope I don't learn the hard way to listen to the take it easy voice.

    ReplyDelete
  19. I pretty much just have the hard-ass voice in my head...and I'm pretty obedient. I was a good boy last week though and sucked it up and stayed off my feet.

    Oh, and I have the EXACT same bird feeder hanging outside my kitchen window. Also empty.

    ReplyDelete
  20. I am having that battle right now actually! I will tell you what side wins once the fight is over!

    ReplyDelete
  21. We usually get one good snowfall in April and yet I am holding onto the (delusion) hope that spring is here to stay.

    Nice job on the run... definitely give yourself the rest when you need it.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Oh god, my body and my head are telling me to quit right now. My whole body hurts again. I know it will feel better in a couple of days, but damn.

    Great job on your 10 miler, that's an awesome pace!

    ReplyDelete
  23. I definitely have the two sides, and the deep lingering feeling of guilt if I "skip" or cut back on the training....but after MY stress fracture last fall, I have the same attitude as you--pushing too hard is what caused it and I will NOT let that happen again. So I usually let the yoga voice with the soft chimes in the background win. Also, there is a lot less pressure in being slow, so I take refuge in that...it helps!

    ReplyDelete
  24. Wow...your internal voices sound exactly like mine! I made the mistake of listening to Hard Ass instead of Yoga voice last fall and am still battling the tendinits. Yoga voice is calmly telling me "told ya."

    ReplyDelete
  25. I always have two sides in my head when it comes to running. One always wants to complain and the other just wants to push through and shut up! haha

    ReplyDelete
  26. This is the first time in training when I am actually modifying the training plan to accommodate fatigue and need for rest. I can say that this strategy works. Also, not sure if you do ice baths and use the foam roller, but I find that these 2 are essential to my recovery.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Whoo hoo for that great pace so close to the 20 miler - be proud girly!
    Oh, I have so many voices in my head I have to ignore them all or I wouldn't do a damn thing!
    But you're right, sometimes the running voices nees to put some duck tape over their mouths - our body is smarter than we give it credit!
    Sorry about the snow - at least you didn't have to work like the rest of us suckers!

    ReplyDelete
  28. I have at least two voices in my head arguing - usually more. But there's medication for that.

    Nice job getting the 10 miles done, and good call listening to your body. Tell that competetive voice it better shut up or it might be spending months in the pool again if it gets you reinjured. :)

    ReplyDelete
  29. We all have those voices, don't we? I'd rather know that we all have them than to accept that a vast number of the running population has multiple personality disorder. I'm glad we don't run around with speech bubbles over our heads that show our internal conversations. It would only prove to the non-running population that we really are as mad as they think.

    ReplyDelete
  30. I have imps in my brain telling me a million things. The leprechauns are still hanging around, dragging my feet and won't let me run faster. Tomorrow, I am not running the easy 3 miles. I am gonna stretch and do yoga. Maybe the yogi will talk the leprechauns into leaving?

    ReplyDelete
  31. I have to agree that rest is necessary, being I screwed myself over for that!

    ReplyDelete
  32. My take it easy voice is almost always silenced when my feet hit the road. Sometimes, though I do listen to it and then I almost always feel guilty. If I had GI issues like you, I don't know what I'd do...I hate pooping anywhere except in the comfort of my own home

    ReplyDelete
  33. The two sides of my head should have their own seperate heads...that is how much they argue!

    ReplyDelete
  34. I want to keep doing this crazy stuff so I listen to my body every time. I feel guilty but I never regret the rest. You're smart and have gone through so much, you're doing the right thing!

    ReplyDelete
  35. I don't like training schedules at all! I pretty much just try to get in three quality runs a week, but if I'm not feeling it then I just do easy days. I don't take too many days off because running is my prozac and I get mopey...

    I'm sure if you wanted a 10:30 pace you'd listen to me LOL!

    ReplyDelete
  36. I facing a similar battle right now: want versus need. Need is winning, and I guess that's a good thing. I attribute the win to the wisdom that comes with aging...sigh...
    Life was more fun when I didn't listen to better judgement.

    ReplyDelete
  37. Yeah, one of my voices wants to settle everything with a rifle and a belltower and the other - oops, just one now.

    ReplyDelete
  38. Funny question because I've got a measly 6 miler on the schedule for today and am sitting here trying to think of a good reason NOT to get out and run....

    ReplyDelete
  39. Dood. Golf clap on taking a break when you need one. And congrats on the 20-miler pace you did a few days ago.

    ReplyDelete
  40. I tend to listen to my body pretty well. If it gives signs that I should stop, I put the brakes on quick. (After taking a look to ensure I am just not being lazy.)

    ReplyDelete
  41. I always listen to the part of my body that tells me to stop being a wuss and push though the pain. Makes for fast racing, but lots of injuries. (like now!)

    You MUST have a contest to get a shirt.

    ReplyDelete