After finishing the
Run Streak challenge, I feel like I've totally fallen off the wagon! I mean, not completely, but pretty terribly. I can't attribute it to exhaustion from the challenge, because even though I felt like I was exhausted, I don't think I actually was (quite the contradiction, huh?).
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| Runnin' in SLC! |
My streak officially ended on July 4th, with the Atlanta AJC
Peachtree Road Race -- it's kind of a big deal, in case you haven't heard. After that, I took a few days off to allow my legs to catch up with themselves after pounding down 80 miles in 38 days, pretty big for me! And then it was time for Salt Lake City, where I put in a few miles. I ran three days out of four (pretty awesome for a vacation!), sometimes alone, sometimes with my sisters. All were fabulous.
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| 7ish miles on a hot, hot Saturday. |
And then I was back, and off a little bit again, and only ran once the next weekend on my mini-vacay to Arizona for the weekend. But one is better than none, right? Sure. And then Heather and I put in a long run this weekend -- somewhere between 7 and 7 1/2 miles. The longest run I've done in a long time, though of course Peachtree fell close behind. And, not to mention how freaking hot it was outside (yeah, get out of bed before 9 am if you want to get some miles in), but my head just wasn't in the game for this one. We did it, it took a long time, but we made it work somehow. And that got me thinking...
How do you get back on the horse when you've fallen off... and you used to be BFF? I was rockin' through that streak, feeling amazing 99% of the time, and while I recognized that I had time to fill between that streak ending at Peachtree and starting up with Ragnar and Wine and Dine training, but I didn't think I'd fall too far backwards. Wrong.
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| This was July. Womp. |
It's not like I've never fallen off the horse before. Because gosh knows that I have. So, as I'm two weeks away from starting my Wine and Dine training plan, and then working in a few doubles here and there as I prep for Ragnar at the end of September, I'm struggling with getting back in the habit. And making it a good habit that doesn't make me cry at the thought of getting out of bed in the morning. (Issue #1, I blame the Olympics. I stay up until 11 or midnight watching when I don't really need to!) So, my plan for getting back in the swing of things? Jumping in as much as I can now and getting my head in the game over the next two weeks:
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| ... starts August 19! |
How do you jump back on the wagon after you've fallen off? Tips, suggestions?
After finishing the Run Streak challenge, I feel like I've totally fallen off the wagon! I mean, not completely, but pretty terribly. I can't attribute it to exhaustion from the challenge, because even though I felt like I was exhausted, I don't think I actually was (quite the contradiction, huh?).
I have fallen off of the running wagon a ton of times. It helps me when I surround myself with running friends. I also talk about races and my training runs all of the time. (I'm not sure the people that I work with care... ha)
ReplyDeleteI don't know where I'd be right now if I wasn't in the middle of Chicago training. It gets me going when I don't feel like it. ...and trust me. I often don't feel like it.
I need you to move here so I can run with you. Problem solved? I think so. ;)
DeleteSchedules help immensely, don't they? I guess I'm also realizing that for the first time for the better part of this year (save for May), I'm on NO schedule of any kind. Hm, that's a realization.
Friends to keep you honest definitely helps; I've been hitting the weight room regularly the past couple of months in no small part because I have two other buddies meet me there.
ReplyDeleteBut I think the most important part--or at least, what works the best for me--is a concrete running schedule or training plan. If I'm not training for anything in particular and hence without a training plan, it becomes difficult to stay motivated. There's certainly nothing wrong with taking time off to let your body and mind recover! But if you're ready to get back into the swing of things, my best suggestion would be to make a schedule.
Unfortunately haven't found any consistence running friends in Athens, which definitely makes it a struggle. That's why I blog. A little internet accountability.
DeleteThe schedule is definitely in place, and all ready for it to start. I could think about a schedule for the next two weeks, as a time-filler, however. That's an idea! :)
Thanks!