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Some days I wonder if I will ever learn.
To explain, let me start back on Thursday morning. I got up a little bit later since the husband was off work and we got to sleep in. I felt a little off track with sleeping an extra hour, but shrugged it off.
We had some errands to run and Wes had me pick him up a couple miles down the road after his run. I made a pit stop for some coffee thinking it would help to get me a little bit more energy.
These are all very normal things. My diet was normal. Nothing really was out of the ordinary.
Wes has a dentist appointment and since we are down to one car right now, I went with him so I could bum a ride to the gym once it was over.
The whole time I was waiting I felt “off.” I was already playing mind tricks with myself trying NOT to think about the run/spin workout I had planned. The same workout I had already done 2 days this week. I know I think you can already see where this is going.
I got to the gym and didn’t waste much time getting on the treadmill. The run went OK but I started to get a bit frustrated that I was feeling so tired with 3 miles at a 9:50 pace.
I know – maybe it has to do something with the femoral stress fracture you had and the fact that you couldn’t run for 3-4 months?
Yes it seems obvious, but I was already mentally beating myself up about it.
I went downstairs to change and go hop on the spin bike. I was not in the mood. I was already in a bad mood walking back upstairs to the spin room and had a feeling this was going to be tough.
I started spinning and reminded myself of my tricks – just make it to 10 minutes.
I hit 10 minutes and felt a little better and then tricked myself to make it to 30, 40, and finally 50 minutes before calling it a day.
The room was empty for the first time all week and so I was pretty much completely alone throughout the 50 minutes.
I went back downstairs and sat and waited for Wes to finish up. I was on the verge of tears. I was mentally exhausted. I know what your thinking – why doesn’t she listen to her own advice?
Exhibit C
Sometimes we are our own worst enemy.
I once again got under the mind set that I had to get as much cardio in as possible. Every day this week I had some sort of run followed by at least 50 minutes of spinning. Isn’t just about everyone going to get burnt out from that?
Wes and I got in the car and I started crying. I couldn’t believe I was this exhausted mentally. Of course, he reminded me like he always does that I was falling back into my routine of doing the same thing every day and pushing myself too hard.
The husband decided we would stop by Wegmans for dinner for my favorite salad bar and to give me a break.
Moving on. Friday was a rest day. A complete and total rest day. I ran some errands, cleaned the house, but I never once saw the gym. It felt amazing.
I am reset and ready to head back this morning. I have revamped my weekly workouts and am turning a bigger focus to weight training. Of course, I will still be spinning and getting my second round of cardio in but instead of 5-6 days a week it will drop to probably 2-3. I need variety or I go crazy.
Do you ever catch yourself falling back into the same routine?
Do you switch up your workouts during the week to keep from going crazy? Please say I am not the only one here!
I switch my workouts up every single day or I will go CRAZY if I don’t. I can’t do the same thing for very long on one day, much less 3 days in a row. I always incorporate some kind of run but plan out a long run day, treadmill run, speed training, and progressive runs to make it more interesting.
Yes I always so to do it but for some reason this week I did the same thing ever day! No wonder I got so burnt out…time to switch it up today! 🙂
I do a lot I running in the treadmill, but I always make sure I switch it up with running Fartleks, hill workouts, and easy runs throughout the week. I am so excited becaus it’s a little bit warmer up here in Mass today and I can FINALLY go for a run outside! I had a day just like you the other day, and decided to just take a rest day. I was too mentally and physically exhausted from work, and the entire week, and I knew that if I ran it just wouldn’t be good.
Yeah I get on a roll with something and I get in a habit and forget to switch it up. Then after a few weeks I burn out – I should probably see that coming right!? 🙂
I think if I was doing the same thing every day for that long I would go crazy too! Since you are trying to add more strength training, maybe you could make up a strength workout that also includes cardio (like instead of resting between sets do some cardio like burpees or jogging in place) and try to never completely rest to keep your heart rate up. I did this at one point when I was recovering from an injury after losing my mind trying to stay in the elliptical for an hour and a half. I would also break up my workout by doing a couple of sets with weights, and then hopping on cardio equipment for 10-15 mins and repeating a few times. I know it must be frustrating to try to keep your endurance up but its not worth getting mentally burnt out! Glad you took a rest day yesterday and feel ready to get back to the gym today. Sometimes a day off can make all the difference!
That is a good idea! Yeah I need to find different ways to keep improving WITHOUT burning myself out because it is just not worth it in any way, shape, or form! I like a challenge so I look forward to figuring out some different this this week!
I feel like running is always my focus so I make sure to take different group fitness classes at my gym like body pump, body combat, rpm, yoga, Zumba or whatever else they offer I find even if the workout isn’t super challenging it’s fun to mix it up!
It’s a slow process, and I think we’re all getting better at not pushing our bodies too much. Running and spinning every day is way more than I could handle. But didn’t I just see on Facebook that you are planning to do spinning again after your long run? Maybe “just” the long run would be good enough, especially since you’re so exhausted! You know your body best so my opinion doesn’t matter (obviously), but I have your best interest in mind!
Yep the spin is just a slow cool down to get my legs recovered. Nothing long or intense 🙂 it actually ended up being 10 minutes haha
Oh good, good for you 🙂 I hope the run was great!
Thank you! It was tough but GREAT!
I have been saying this for a while, but you have to be careful … I am with Megan – ramping up running while doing an HOUR of spinning is NOT a cool down – it is a double workout. I have also not been forceful because like everyone says you know your body best and we only get part of the picture – but when you add up all of the ‘not feeling it’ or ‘exhausted’ days and how they have been increasing in frequency as you have been increasing the number of 2+ hour gym days … to me it presents a pretty compelling picture that you are over-doing.
No two people are the same, and I am not sure if you are trying to keep up with Wes in many ways, but you need to be careful to only do what you CAN do rather than what you THINK you can or should be able to do.
Please, please be careful … seriously.
As for me, sort of like food, I can do the same thing again and again and again … but then again I know that I am different in that way just like many others. Which is why I never advise anyone to try my approach to diet and exercise.
Michael, I think there are some “lucky few” out there that can just do the same thing over and over. My husband is one of them, too. He’s been running seriously and competitively for about 15 years, and does not cross-train. He’s been relatively injury free, besides an ankle injury that took him out for a month+ several years ago, and the knee surgery he just had for a torn meniscus (which he thinks he got from jumping off a rock while we were hiking in Japan, not from running). The benefits of the surgery were that it got him to do some rowing and biking! Anyway, he’s an amazing runner, and he knows what works for his body, which doesn’t involve cross-training. For me, I know without a day of cross-training and/ or yoga, I start to break down. Like almost everything else, it all comes down to knowing your body and being honest with yourself!
I agree with you Megan and Michael! My husband can do the same thing – run every single day and not get bored. I HAVE to switch it up. When I get under stress (whether it is realistic or just stress I put on myself) I tend to revert back to doing the same thing all the time. It just doesn’t work for me and I need to remember that regardless!
So very true – when I saw so much success with weight loss many years ago I had people asking me for ‘the secret’. And back then I adopted a mantra – ‘what works for me … works for me’. That is true for eating, running, and life in general. While we can talk in generalities ‘eat better and exercise’, how one person reacts is different than someone else.
Agreed! What works for one person doesn’t work for another – that is what I had to learn when I kept trying to run as much as Wes. It doesn’t mean I will never be there but my body is not ready for that and it is a slow progression. A lot goes into it – I’d say this past year or so I’ve taught myself a lot – or life has taught me a lot 🙂