Monday I stopped to think about when I took a serious turn in my weight loss journey and it really started when I decided to start running. I've technically been training for a race since the end of October but that was just to be ready for a 5k. The real training started slightly over a month ago when I took the half marathon plunge. In the month of January alone I ran 72 miles.
For someone who used to mock and scoff at those who were crazy enough to run for enjoyment on the side of the busy highway, I sure have turned over a new leaf. It’s been hard. Don’t let anyone ever tell you training for an event is easy. Especially if you've gone from never having ran a race in your life to deciding you’re going to go big or go home. But I hope you can look at what I’m doing and decide that scary goals are worth going after and are achievable. Never in my life did I believe I’d tell someone I was planning on participating in a race that required me to run almost as far as my daily commute to work. (Seriously, I think 13.1 miles is over half way! Note to self: Watch odometer next time.)
The one thing everyone will experience at some point in any training or exercise regime they do is this fun little thing called burnout. We've experienced it in everyday life. Job, busy schedules with the kids, school, friends wanting to hang out and yes…even exercise.
I subscribe to a fitness website called Girls Gone Strong. I periodically read the blogs if they catch my attention and one a few weeks ago did just that. The writer exercises and trains seven days a week because she loves it but she recently started feeling burned out so she decided to write about how she combats workout burnout.
Burnout. Burn•out (n): exhaustion of physical or emotional strength or motivation usually as a result of prolonged stress or frustration. I think most people relate burnout to work and school or as the definition says…stress. Workout is a type of stress but more physical than mental. Hence the physical exhaustion piece of the definition. I am no different. I experience burnout with my job so I exercise to get my mind off of it. But what do you do when you starting feeling burned out? Simple. Take some time off.
*gasp* Did she really just say that? The answer is yes. We all have days we don’t feel like going to the gym or taking that walk. But someone says “just go…you’ll feel better afterwards”. And you know what? They are right. You usually do. But what happens when you really, really, really have absolutely know motivation to train and you know that if you go it’ll be less than 50% effort? (By the way, that’s burnout you are feeling.) Simple. You don’t go.
*gasp* Did she just say that, too? Yeah. I went there. Case in point. I run Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. I’m alternating four and five mile right now on the first three days and my long run is Sunday. This past Saturday should have been an easy four miles. I could have gotten it done in under an hour and gone on with my day. Except, I just wasn’t feeling it. There are days I don’t feel like doing my run but I get out there anyway. I’m probably running at 75% but I feel better afterwards. I knew Saturday would not be the case. I just couldn’t muster the desire or willpower to change into my workout clothes and run. And I didn’t regret it. I was feeling burned out and I thought back to the GGS blog post. The writer took not one but two days off just to mentally and physically recoup then she was back in the gym full strength.
I took Saturday off to enjoy a stress free day with my son and husband. I got my mind off of training so that I could mentally prepare myself for an eight mile run Sunday. And it made a world of difference. I felt stronger both mentally and physically Sunday. I still wasn’t 100% mentally but after getting out on the road and seeing some new scenery in a location we haven’t ran before I immediately felt renewed. We finished the eight miles in an hour and 35 minutes which is huge for me personally seeing as it took me that long to finish seven last week. I was tired but content and ready to face my runs for the week.
The point is it’s ok to take some time off. If you need every single weekend to recoup then use that time to do so. Don’t let your workout become a chore because if you do you’ll start resenting it. You’ll start hating going to the gym or going on that run. And resentment will lead to quitting. Or maybe you need to switch up your off day(s). That’s ok to.
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