Much Needed Downtime
I was staring at the pages in my running log, and it become all to apparent that I needed to change things up for a few days. I need to take some super easy days.
After all, I spent the first few months of the year preparing for my spring marathon which as we all know evaporated in to the mist along with every other race. So, I have essentially been in one long build phase while running lots, and lots, and lots of miles.
What did I do about it?
Well, I scheduled some time off and disappeared for a few days.
Taking downtime has always been a struggle for me. I love the routine that running provides in my life. The knowing that in each day I have some control over a little part of it. I am typically able to justify the ups and downs of my training by planning certain key races and taking some downtime afterward. This has been sadly missing this year. I looked at my log for May and June and realized that I had run nearly 800 miles. I also realized that if I keep up this pace, I will likely run well over 4000 miles for this year. I am getting too old to be putting in this amount of miles. I need to be easing it back and not pushing for more.
Another thing, up to this point in my life, I never realized how much cycling of my training plans kept my running in balance. Racing pulled back my miles so that I could lean in and run races well. It help keep my body fresh. It has also reminded me how much having a goal out in front of me helps motivate me. How much I depended on those end goals to drive me forward.
Now, I feel like I am just training in hopes that one day in the hopefully the not so distance future I can return to setting those goals.
I am keeping the faith and so should you.
Sorry, that you had to endure my rambling tonight.
The Cool Down Runner
After all, I spent the first few months of the year preparing for my spring marathon which as we all know evaporated in to the mist along with every other race. So, I have essentially been in one long build phase while running lots, and lots, and lots of miles.
What did I do about it?
Well, I scheduled some time off and disappeared for a few days.
Taking downtime has always been a struggle for me. I love the routine that running provides in my life. The knowing that in each day I have some control over a little part of it. I am typically able to justify the ups and downs of my training by planning certain key races and taking some downtime afterward. This has been sadly missing this year. I looked at my log for May and June and realized that I had run nearly 800 miles. I also realized that if I keep up this pace, I will likely run well over 4000 miles for this year. I am getting too old to be putting in this amount of miles. I need to be easing it back and not pushing for more.
Another thing, up to this point in my life, I never realized how much cycling of my training plans kept my running in balance. Racing pulled back my miles so that I could lean in and run races well. It help keep my body fresh. It has also reminded me how much having a goal out in front of me helps motivate me. How much I depended on those end goals to drive me forward.
Now, I feel like I am just training in hopes that one day in the hopefully the not so distance future I can return to setting those goals.
I am keeping the faith and so should you.
Sorry, that you had to endure my rambling tonight.
The Cool Down Runner
Comments